99% of Teachers Are "Effective." Is this Too High? Too Low? Do Schools Evaluate Teachers Accurately? Why Are Teachers So Hard to Measure? Is this Magic vs Technology? Dr. Amanda Mckay Discusses!

The Best Paragraph I've Read: Michigan was part of a wave of states that implemented teacher accountability measures, based on the studies that showed students learned more when they were in classrooms with highly effective teachers. Before the reforms, determining which teachers were superstars was nearly impossible, because virtually all teachers were rated as effective. Having a four-category rating system was seen as a way to allow schools — and families —  to distinguish the great teachers from the average ones. “It was seen as a potential reform that could make a big difference and improve equitable outcomes,” said Lenhoff, the Wayne State professor. “It was bipartisan, and had broad support from the education advocacy community.” A December Brown University study, though, found the reform didn’t work, either in Michigan or most other states that implemented similar laws. That study found that, while there were exceptions, on average, teacher evaluations tied to student test scores did not increase learning. This paragraph comes from an article on the website www.bridgemi.com.  The article is titled: "10 years of strict teacher evaluations haven't boosted learning in Michigan."  The article is written by Ron French.  You can read the article here: https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/10-years-strict-teacher-evaluations-havent-boosted-learning-michigan   Zac and Don are joined by Dr. Amanda Mckay, education administrator, and member of the Creative Design Education Group.  The three discuss the effectiveness of the teacher evaluation system used in schools.  They talk about why the system may not be working and if there are better models that schools could be using.  They discuss whether teachers are more magicians than technology.  They also wonder if the right incentives are in place for both teachers and students. You can connect with Dr. Mckay and the Creative Design Education Group Here: https://www.designeducationgroup.net/