ALBANY, N.Y. Nov. 16, 2011 - New York State United Teachers today is pleased to announce the release of "TED," a new Teacher Evaluation and Development system that aims to advance student learning and professional development by establishing teachers as participants in - not merely recipients of - their own evaluations. A TED handbook and workbook is now available for school districts statewide, posted at www.nysut.org/ted.
TED breaks new ground in that it is the first union-led reform initiative to come to fruition funded by a federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It is also supported by a grant from the American Federation of Teachers.
"A fair and objective evaluation system that includes the important voice of practitioners, and cooperation amongst all stakeholders, is essential to ensuring student success and quality teaching," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "NYSUT is proud to have initiated this innovative project, one that has given voice to teachers in shaping the standards for our profession."
The TED system is the byproduct of labor/management collaboration in six school districts across the state. Teachers, principals and superintendents worked together over a two-year period to develop TED, which is not only rigorous, but also designed to meet local and real-world needs.
"To ensure our students have the quality teachers they deserve, and that teachers are fairly evaluated and supported in their important work, we need a strategy that strengthens retention, supports teacher growth, and fosters improvements in student learning while factoring in the conditions in which teachers work," NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira said.
"NYSUT's commitment to focus on labor/management collaboration shows we've taken the time to do this right," Neira added. "The result is a system that honors partnership, holds student achievement squarely at its center, and inspires excellence across the profession."
TED, developed by labor/management teams in Albany, Hempstead, Marlboro, North Syracuse, Plattsburgh and Poughkeepsie, is aligned with New York State Teaching Standards and the state-approved Teacher Practice Rubric that calls for the use of multiple measures to determine teacher effectiveness.
A number of districts and local unions have agreed to use the rubric to meet the state's new teacher evaluation requirements. Training on how to use the system is available through NYSUT's Education & Learning Trust. For more information, go to www.nysut.org/innovation_17054.htm.
"A comprehensive, integrated Teacher Evaluation and Development system, driven by practitioner knowledge and experience, is critical to advancing student achievement and professional teacher development," Neira said. "The TED system breaks new ground in accomplishing that mission."
NYSUT, the state's largest union, represents more than 600,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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