The NYC DOE Chancellor Joel Klein and UFT president Michael Mulgrew have signed a joint letter to union members announcing the start of the 'Measures of Effective Teaching' study -- intended to measure teacher effectiveness beyond student performance on standardized tests (see article below).

 

The study, funded by the Gates Foundation, will explore a broad array of teaching measures to recognize the work of teachers in fair and valid ways. Researchers will use student standardized test scores (which is a starting point) plus student and teacher surveys and videotaping classroom activities.

 

Volunteer teachers will receive a $1,500 stipend for participation.

 

Readers are probably awaiting a punch line right now. Something the Geico gekko might say. There is none.

 

There is something more serious to consider: teaching; inculcating receptive minds with knowledge and curiosity; overcoming students' disabilities -- these are just a few of the jobs courageous teachers must do. Quantifying these activities is downright impossible. The ultimate effectiveness of inspired teaching comes years later, when the student (perhaps having aged into a responsible adult) uses that knowledge and curiosity to be a better citizen-parent-whatever, perhaps remembering that teacher in some fond or quirky way.

 

Attempting to quantify teaching effectiveness through some measure, although well-meaning, will result in the numerics similar to those that led the financial markets to disarray recently, that earlier had Robert McNamara declaring body-count victories in Viet Nam, and leave all wondering what it all proves.