How are Alabama’s teachers being evaluated?

Are those evaluations helping teachers get better at teaching?

Are students learning more as a result of those evaluations?

The first question is easy enough. The latter two are more confounding.

Identifying effective teachers who improve student learning is the subject of Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) PREP (Preparing and Rewarding Education Professionals) Act, which barely cleared the Senate Education and Youth Affairs committee last week and is expected to be considered by the full Senate in the near future.

Since we published the draft of Marsh’s all-things-teacher-improvement-and-reform proposal last December, it has been the topic of conversations across Alabama. Read more . . .