TER Challenges Misinformation on Teacher Evaluation Bill (SB 893 & HB 2543)

(Austin, TX)  Texans for Education Reform issued the following statement today in support of the Teacher Evaluation and Development Bill authored by State Senator Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, and State Representative Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown.  TER President Julie Linn said:

“Research shows that the quality of a student’s teacher is the strongest school-based factor in student learning.  Student achievement will rise and teachers will thrive if policies are designed to attract, engage, develop, and reward talented teachers.

“SB 893 by Sen. Seliger and HB 2543 by Rep. Farney will improve teacher quality and support teachers in a comprehensive manner.  We are disappointed that so much misinformation is being circulated regarding this important legislation.”

Linn made clear what SB 893/HB 2543 does and does not do:

SB 893/HB 2543 will: 

• Improve appraisals of teachers – Ensures that a teacher is appraised annually based on multiple measures, including student educational growth, and requires that a teacher receive meaningful feedback.  (Currently, some teachers are evaluated as little as once every five years.)
• Enhance professional development – Allows teachers to customize their professional development based on their individual needs, ending the one-size-fits-all method of professional development that is currently in place.  
• Allow compensation innovation – Provides local school districts with opportunities to recruit, support, and reward teachers with unique local teacher compensation plans.
• Preserve local control – Allows school districts to either adopt a state-designed teacher development framework or adopt a locally-designed framework that includes key elements such as annual appraisals and meaningful feedback.

SB 893/HB 2543 will not:

• Does not reduce a teacher’s salary or make changes to minimum salary.
• Does not tie a teacher’s appraisal to STAAR tests.

Texans for Education Reform (TER) is a bipartisan, non-profit organization of education, business, and civic leaders committed to improving public schools in Texas.