Governor to propose ending continuing contracts for teachers and principles

MoonHowler

From newsadvance.com in Lynchburg:

Teacher contracts and uranium mining will get Gov. Bob McDonnell’s attention during this General Assembly session.

McDonnell said he will ask legislators to require all teachers undergo performance reviews every year, and “remove the continuing contract status from teachers and principals.”

Instead, annual contracts would be offered to teachers, McDonnell said.

“This will allow us to implement an improved evaluation system that really works, and give principals a new tool” for managing schools, McDonnell said during his State of the Commonwealth speech to the Senate and House of Delegates.

Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge County, said he expects to support many of the governor’s education-reform proposals, but the continuing-contract idea was a new one.

I don’t see doing away with continuing contracts as “teacher reform.”  In the first place, principals aren’t on continuing contracts as principals.  They are on continuing contract as teachers.  Why does McDonnell think that yearly evaluation will make better teachers?  A full evaluation, usually done triennially for continuing contract teachers is very time consuming on the part of the teacher and the evaluator.  Why would  taking away the aspect of a continuing contract make for better teachers?  I say it would not.

 

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Unfunded Mandates

MoonHowler

There will always be people who want to put their own spin on things.  Actually the BOCS meeting last Tuesday and the legislative action taken really wasn’t about illegal immigration.  It was about good governance.  And our BOCS failed the test. 

No one I am aware of is arguing that the current process of checking immigration status after one is arrested is a bad thing.  Most people I know feel that this is a fair, workable solution to a troublesome problem.  No one wants criminals on the street. 

The problem Tuesday began with lack of transparency.  The final UVA Report was unavailable for preview before the presentation.  For $385,000, this just should not be happening.  The agenda had irregularities.  The posted agenda showed  recess was scheduled and a press conference planned during the recess.  Again, this was highly irregular behavior and there was no explanation given.  Should citizens be suspicious?  To add to the confusion and obfuscation, 2 supervisors left during the business meeting and met with the press.  Why did the press have to be spoken to before the meeting was adjourned?

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