HOT RESOURCES: NEA-FEA LAWSUIT EDITION-CHALLENGING THE LEGALITY OF FLORIDA EVALUATIONS

HOT RESOURCES: NEA-FEA LAWSUIT EDITION
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
BACKGROUND: NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Florida Education Association (FEA) President Andy Ford just wrapped up a conference call with national media in which they discussed today's filing of an Association-filed lawsuit challenging the legality of Florida evaluations being based on standardized test scores of students or subjects educators do not teach.

President Van Roekel and President Ford were joined by Bethann Brooks and Kim Cook, two of the seven accomplished teachers and three locals on whose behalf the lawsuit is being filed.

The lawsuit against the Florida Commissioner of Education, the Florida Board of Education and the school boards of Alachua, Hernando and Escambia counties claims that the evaluation violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Specifically, the teachers contend that the evaluation-implemented in order to comply with Fla.'s S.B. 736,-is arbitrary, irrational and unfair.

MESSAGE GUIDANCE:
Teachers invented tests! We're deeply committed to student success and we know that testing is a great way to measure that success. But we want well-designed, timely assessments that monitor individual student performance and progress across a range of subjects and skills. We are strongly opposed to flawed tests and assessment systems used to make decisions about students' and teachers' futures.
• We support the growing chorus of voices highlighting the flaws and harmful effects of high stakes testing. As educators, we know that off-the-shelf assessments that don't align with curricula or goals are not the answer.
• Educators know that while testing is a great way to measure that success, we need to make sure we have well-designed, timely assessments that monitor individual student performance and progress across a range of subjects and skills.
• This type of assessment isn't done in one day or three times a year. It's done daily, and educators need the flexibility to collaborate with their colleagues and the time to evaluate on-going data to make informed decisions about what's best for students.
• If we want a system that is designed to help all students, we must allow educators, parents, students and communities to be a part of the process and have a stronger voice in this conversation as they demand high-quality assessments that support student learning. Off-the-shelf assessments that are not aligned with the curriculum or goals of the school are not the answer.
• Teachers want to be able to identify student growth and determine if our practice supports student learning. We want evaluations that really help us continue to improve our practice, and we want to identify colleagues who are struggling and either supported through professional development or have them removed from the classroom.

MEDIA HITS (as of 11:30 a.m. ET)
Washington Post: Lawsuit: Stop evaluating teachers on test scores of students they never taught

Orlando Sentinel: Teachers union files federal lawsuit over evaluations tied to test scores

DailyKos: Teachers sue to block Florida teacher evaluation system

Washington Post: "A ‘value-added' travesty for an award-winning teacher

WTXL - ABC Tallahassee: Teachers file federal lawsuit over "teacher merit pay"

Tallahassee Democrat: Teachers challenge evaluation system in federal court

Tampa Bay Times: FEA lawsuit challenging teacher evaluations unveiled

EduWONK: "Watch this lawsuit"

LINKS YOU CAN USE
• News release: NEA, FEA file a federal lawsuit over Florida's teacher evaluation procedure

• NEA, FEA lawsuit overview

• Educators' voices are crucial to the development of well-designed, fair assessments. That's why NEA encourages members to visit Assessment Advisor, an online site that lets them rate the assessments that they've used in their own classrooms

• NEA signed onto a national resolution last year calling out the problems with the imbalanced focus on high-stakes standardized tests. Members can echo the resolution at http://timeoutfromtesting.org/nationalresolution/

SHARE, POST AND TWEET ALONG WITH US:
Does this formula make any sense to you? It doesn't to teachers in Florida graphic depicting the absurdities of evaluating educators based on standardized test scores of students or subjects educators do not teach.