Michelle Ann Patrovani, Ed.D.

Educator Evaluation Review Task Force was created to overhaul teacher evaluation in New Jersey Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way last Friday signed legislation that creates the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force. The law also suspends the collection of new student growth objective (SGO) data for tenured teachers with existing SGOs for the 2024-25 school year. That legislation has been a top priority for NJEA members as they seek relief from the onerous requirements of the current evaluation system, including very time-consuming SGOs that most New Jersey teachers agree provide little or no helpful data. The task force created by this new law will examine the educator evaluation process, including the use of SGOs and other parts of the TEACHNJ Act. The task force is charged with recommending changes to the educator evaluation system by September 2024. NJEA’s officers, President Sean M. Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty, and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson, released this statement about the bill: “We commend Gov. Murphy, Lt. Gov. Way, and legislative leaders for their support of this very important work. By halting the collection of SGO data for tenured teachers in the coming year, they have sent a message that they understand our current evaluation system needs drastic change. “New Jersey schools are facing a staffing crisis that is hurting our students. While many factors contribute to that crisis, we know that frustration with onerous bureaucratic paperwork is a leading cause of burnout. “New Jersey educators are among the best in the world at what we do, as evidenced by the fact that our schools are consistently ranked the best in the nation. However, the unreasonable and time-consuming paperwork requirements of our current evaluation system pull teachers away from more important and productive work. That doesn’t benefit anyone. “We call on members of the task force to look very closely at how much time teachers are spending trying to prove that they are doing their jobs instead of being able to do their jobs. New Jersey needs an evaluation system that respects the professional expertise of educators and that supports continued professional learning and growth. The current system, with its mountains of paperwork that do not contribute to more effective teaching and learning, is not just frustrating but is harmful. “We look forward to working with other stakeholders throughout this process to develop an evaluation system that supports teachers, benefits students, and nurtures a better working and learning environment for everyone.”

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Rethink discipline & responses to behavior with a personal story. How can educators positively influence students and honor their dignity? New Blog Post https://wix.to/x5dOurQ

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Join us for session 3 of Teacher Education Journal Series

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Check out the first blog and reading list for the "9 Essentials for School Leaders"  BIAS TO ACTION  https://wix.to/SaRk07t #essentials #biastoaction #mikecobb

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Interesting article in @EdWeekOpinion September 4 piece, "What Educators Think About in Classroom Controversy." -35% of teachers skip entire topics because they fear it could lead to complaints from students, parents, or administrators - 39% of teachers avoid debates/discussions/questions These stats are concerning to me. Civil discourse, healthy debate, and lifelong learning are the foundation of preparing students for college, career, or life. (In fact, it is written in most school's mission or values). It is dissapointing to see so many teachers feeling pressure and avoiding these critical learning experiences in their classes. What do you think? What is the solution?

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5 Antiracist Practices to Transform Reading Instruction https://lnkd.in/et35zVK9

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