JACKSONVILLE, FlA. -- Just as students get evaluated by tests, so do teachers who - this week - are getting their own grades.
It's all part of the brand new state evaluation for classroom teachers called the Value Added Model.
Dawn Chapman, president of the St. John's teachers union, told Action News, "It's a huge formula that has a bunch of variables and it takes the data from the last few years. "
Chapman claims the new teachers evaluation which now adds student test scores over three years to the equation is unfair to the teachers and the students. "Anything with high stakes testing negatively affects students," she said.
State officials however say student testing is a valid assessment of an instructor's performance. Only 3% of teachers statewide received unsatisfactory grades. Aside from Alachua County which nearly mirrored state numbers, Baker, Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns all had 0% of their classroom teachers scoring unsatisfactory marks.
But teachers unions statewide are still lambasting the evaluation process.
"We are all for accountability but we need a measure that is fair and educationally sound," said Chapman, "They need to go back to the drawing board and take input from key stakeholders such as teachers."
