Major Ed Groups Say Delink APPR and School Aid

ECB

Delink APPR and School Aid The six educational organizations listed above representing parents, classroom teachers, school-related professionals, school business officials, building administrators, superintendents, and school boards seek changes to adjust the financial penalties associated with the Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR).

In December, pursuant to recommendations of the Governor’s Common Core Task Force, the Board of Regents adopted regulations providing for a four-year transition period in the conduct of teacher and principal evaluations, while the state reviews, revises and implements new state learning standards and assessments.

During this needed transition period APPR ratings are to be calculated by excluding any evaluation measures tied to grades 3 through 8 state assessments in English language arts or mathematics, or state provided growth scores derived from Regents Examinations.

Our members see this pause as a part of the needed opportunity to “reboot” the implementation of revised learning standards and assessments by alleviating the pressure associated with the use of these assessments as part of evaluations.

However, our members question the practicality and rationale of forcing districts and collective bargaining units to negotiate, and having the State Education Department approve, hundreds of new plans required by Education Law section 3012-d during this pause. If a district fails to do so by September 1, 2016 this will result in the loss of a district’s 2015-16 and 2016-17 state aid increases.

Our organizations support the Assembly’s budget proposal to disconnect increases in state aid from compliance with APPR. In the alternative, our organizations recommend authorizing:

  • Districts to evaluate educators under approved 3012-c plans or approved 3012-d plans, at local option through collective bargaining, until the end of the 2018-19 school year.
  • Districts to receive state aid increases in each year so long as they are implementing evaluations under an approved plan.
  • Districts that have approved 3012-d plans to revert to a 3012-c compliant plan, at local option through collective bargaining.

Adoption of these amendments would allow school districts to avoid another forced shift and potentially contentious approval process while state education policy makers consider next steps. At the same time, these amendments would respect the efforts made by those districts that have already made the transition to 3012-d and ensure that districts get the aid increases they need to best serve their students.