The Core Knowledge Blog

New York State’s legislature has dealt a blow to NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg and school chancellor Joel Klein, prohibiting school districts from denying or granting teacher tenure based on criteria such as student test scores.

Klein had pushed hard on the issue up to the last minute, arguing in yesterday’s Daily News that “a teacher’s impact on her students’ standardized test scores shouldn’t be the only factor used in deciding whether or not to give tenure, and it should never be used as part of a hard formula. Nor should test scores be used without controlling forthings like where students start academically, class size and demographics. But if these general guidelines are followed, there is nothing wrong – and everything right – with using the achievement gains of students, as measured through standardized tests, to assess the quality of a teacher’s work.”

Albany made it a moot point.

“I am dismayed that the State Legislature would even consider tying the hands of principals and school districts as they decide who gets lifetime job security. This is unconscionable. Lawmakers should do all they can to ensure every student has a good teacher,” Klein vented to the New York Times. “Our children deserve better.”