No Waiting on Perfection for Teacher Evaluations: Haslam

Governor Bill Haslam says the state should keep learning as it goes when it comes to evaluating teachers.

This week, a review the governor asked for from an outside group suggested changes to evaluations for teachers of subjects that aren’t currently tested, like art. The report from the group SCORE suggests in such cases that student test results should not count for a full half of the teacher’s job review.

Haslam says the state will look into it going forward, arguing it’s too important to wait until the system is perfect. When pressed, he acknowledged in the meantime it could affect teachers’ careers.

“Well, I think it can, but that’s… the alternative is to just not do anything. And I just don’t think that’s a smart idea for the state.”

Haslam says he thinks the evaluation process has already begun making teachers and principals in the state better. He says next year he thinks the process itself will also be better.