State Board (Ohio Department of Education) minutes...can you believe this?

From John Curry, December 5, 2011

Note from John....the letter below was sent to me by a concerned retired public servant interested in the unfair (Kasich) method of teacher evaluation that does so by student testing. Where were "our" state board representatives when it came time for a vote? The following transcript came from the minutes of a recent [October 2011] Ohio Board of Education meeting.

P.S. See if you can make any sense out of what Sen. Lehner was saying....I couldn't!

John, I was just looking at the State Board of Ed website at past meeting minutes and found these two pages. Looks like a couple members had concerns but a this Sen Lehner gave a line of BS and they all voted "yes"!!! Maybe you already saw this crap but thought I'd sent it on.

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11. RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO ADOPT THE OHIO TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM (OTES) FRAMEWORK

The Capacity Committee

RECOMMENDS that the State Board of Education ADOPT the following Resolution:
WHEREAS section 3319.61 of the Revised Code requires the Educator Standards Board to develop model teacher evaluation instruments and processes; and

WHEREAS at its April 2011 business meeting the Educator Standards Board passed a resolution to recommend to the State Board of Education the adoption of the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System model that they had developed pursuant to section 3319.61 of the Revised Code; and

WHEREAS House Bill 153 of the 129th General Assembly requires each school district to adopt a standards-based teacher evaluation policy that conforms with the framework for evaluation of teachers developed under section 3319.112 of the Revised Code; and

WHEREAS House Bill 153 of the 129th General Assembly requires the State Board of Education to develop, by December 31, 2011, a standards-based state framework for the evaluation of teachers that is aligned with the standards for teachers adopted under section 3319.61 of the Revised Code, and that provides for multiple evaluation factors, including student academic growth which shall account for fifty percent of each evaluation; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee, at its July 2011 meeting, voted to recommend to the full State Board of Education the adoption of a resolution of intent to evaluate the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System model utilizing Education First, the findings of which would be made available in August 2011; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee, at its August 2011 meeting, heard the findings and recommendations of Education First regarding the proposed Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, as well as the Ohio Department of Education’s Minutes of the October 2011 Meeting of the State Board of Education of Ohio 14 responses to the findings and recommendations, and the Department’s proposed changes to the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, and approved of the changes; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee requests that school districts currently piloting the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System be periodically invited to provide testimony to the Committee regarding the progress of the pilot program; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee asks the Department to evaluate the testimony that is provided in relation to the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System pilot program, and to make recommendations to the Committee regarding changes to the system as it goes forward; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee resolves to completely review the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System in the late spring of 2012 in order to determine any changes that need to be made to the system; and

WHEREAS the Capacity Committee will continue to work with the Department to determine the recommended student academic growth measures that will account for fifty percent of each teacher evaluation: Therefore, Be It

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education hereby declares its intent to adopt the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System Framework in accordance with section 3319.112 of the Revised Code.

It was Moved by Mr. Gunlock that the above recommendation (Item 11) be approved.

Ms. Oakar stated that she had concerns that students and their environment are not considered when evaluating teachers.

Mr. Reardon and Mrs. Cain stated that they supported the concern that Ms. Oakar had raised.

Mr. Mims urged the Board to promote unification around the indicators that improve conditions for student achievement.

Senator Lehner stated that she believed a balance must be found where any type of excuse for failing certain populations is not present at the same time recognizing certain types of populations are more difficult to educate, but the challenge is to fully educate all students.

President Terhar called for a roll call vote.

YES VOTES

Angela Thi Bennett
Deborah Cain
Tess Elshoff
Joe Farmer
Dannie Greene
Thomas Gunlock
Jeffrey Hardin
Robin C. Hovis
C. Todd Jones
Kathleen McGervey
Kristen McKinley
Jeffrey Mims
Mary Rose Oakar
Dennis Reardon
Debe Terhar
Bryan C. Williams

Motion carried.

Note from John....."Mr. Reardon" [Dennis Reardon] was the former (now retired) Executive Director of the Ohio Education Association.....AND HE STILL VOTED "YES" AFTER QUESTIONING THIS (UNFAIR) 50% PROVISION??????????? AND THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE "NO" VOTE? Give me a break!