Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/81027
bargained, as they were in the past. Where CTA fits in is to talk about the supports teachers should have. Perhaps it's through mentoring or a peer program. But again, what that actually looks like will be locally bargained. Because who knows my job bet- ter than someone else who does it? It certainly is not a legislator in Sacramento. Everyone's been through fourth grade, but that doesn't mean they know how to teach it. The evaluation framework grew out of CTA's work on the reau- thorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act sev- eral years ago, because the federal government was starting to get involved in teacher evaluation. When legislators want to do some- thing in education right, they come to us. We were prepared. CTA committees involving academic freedom, professional rights and responsibilities, assessment and testing, special educa- tion, and negotiations, plus local presidents, support staff and higher education members — together we came to a consensus on evaluation and created 17 principles of a quality evaluation sys- tem. The CTA Teacher Evaluation Framework, which was unani- mously approved by State Council, was built on those 17 principles. LaCretia is more than a test score There are more than 400,000 teachers in California, and before we label someone we have to look at the responsibility of the system. If I'm a kindergarten teacher and I have 35 kids in my class- room, I'm alone all day long and all they hand me is a scripted curriculum and no support — that won't work. Teaching is so much more complex than that. We're not working on machines. There so many factors that What are the next steps? After teacher evaluation, the next step in this process is to focus on induction. "I came from the 'sink or swim' type of induction," said CTA Vice President Eric C. Heins. "My support came from my master's program. There was no mechanism for collaboration dur- ing the workday." Supports like mentoring really work. It's expen- sive, but it gets results, especially when new teachers are put into struggling environments. Teacher preparation is next. There is a move to affix test scores to teacher prep programs, and and "nothing could be more ri- diculous," he said. "Look at the research — look at what works for current professionals." There are those who are trying to control our profession. We spend a lot of our time defending our profession from, frankly, stupid stuff. It's harmful, sometimes it's designed to diminish us, and it has noth- ing to do with students or what we do. It's because we do advocate for our students and our profession." "We have a responsibility to talk about it," Heins added. "We are succeeding despite the attacks and the budget cuts. Students are learning and succeeding — don't let anyone tell you differently." Hear Eric discuss CTA's Teacher Evaluation Framework at www.cta.org/erictalksteacherevaluation. impact how a student learns, and the teacher is the most impor- tant. But educational leaders play an important role in how they provide resources, as do parents in making sure students have the support, nourishment and sleep they need. My student, LaCretia, came to me the morning after her family had been evicted. She told me about the motel maid who brought her breakfast. The next day she was taken from my classroom by child services. A few weeks later a social worker delivered a paper Thanksgiving turkey because LaCretia insisted her assignment be turned in. LaCretia is one of my heroes. Here's a girl who was evicted, taken from her family because of drug abuse — but she wanted to turn in her assignment. She's the reason I fight as hard as I do for students — and why we talk about what a good teacher is, about sup- ports for improving instruction. If you measure my effectiveness on her test scores, we both might fail. And that's just not right. CTA Vice President Eric C. Heins chaired the CTA Teacher Evaluation Framework Committee. To purchase this and other educational resources, visit shopPBS.org/teachershop or other authorized distributor sites. © 2012 PBS 24 California Educator September 2012 Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history. Vivid interviews with twenty-six survivors, combined with dramatic photographs and seldom seen movie footage, bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible human perseverance. COMING THIS FALL!