The New York State Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the state's Department of Education Monday and ruled that a Long Island teacher has grounds to challenge the state’s teacher evaluation system in court.
Sheri Lederman, a fourth grade teacher at a Great Neck elementary school, wants to sue the state education department for personal injury after receiving an "ineffective" job rating due to student test scores.
Student performance on standardized tests could soon account for up to half of a teacher's evaluation in New York State. Teacher evaluations determine who’s eligible for a raise, and who could be fired. A recent budget agreement between Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers could make it easier to fire teachers who receive two poor evaluations in a row.
The State Education Department has until the end of the month to design new teacher evaluations that will rely more heavily on students’ standardized test scores.