Opinion: Reevaluate teacher evaluations

November 20, 2019

By PAULA HERBART/President – Michigan Education Association

How would you like your child’s teacher to be evaluated? By the number of correct “bubbles” filled in on a standardized test? Or by creative lesson plans that develop critical thinking skills under that teacher’s tutelage?

If you chose the latter, you are in good company. Last spring, a survey of nearly 17,000 educators conducted by Launch Michigan found that two thirds believed the current evaluation process does nothing to improve teaching and learning.

It’s clear that improving our teacher-evaluation system needs to be a priority for Michigan lawmakers.

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