Thompson: High-Ranking Teachers Ignore Pacing Standards

Two notable additions to all that's already been said about the LA Times value-added series:  (1) Many of the teachers who score the best on the LA Times value added ranking are -- it's revealed in the reader comments sections -- veering off the prescribed curriculum and pacing standards required by the district. Once again, curriculum standards and accountability measures lack alignment  (2) Several of the schools that rate highest on value rank much lower on absolute achievement and other measures.  Parents give Wilbur Elementary top ratings (a Nine on the Great School's ranking) for its robotics and Hebrew offerings and its 78% science scores, but the LATVAM prefers Esperanza Elementary (Two on that ranking) where Science scores were 16%. -- John Thompson

AlbertK "was shocked to read what these elementary teachers were doing. They were going against the script. When I taught elementary ed. students I had to rigidly follow the script and the pace. ... I find it amazing how the teachers were able to get off the script for such a long time. But I guess it would be embarassing for the teacher if they observed the teacher following a script, so the principal must've given the teachers some free time while the press was there. There are mostly excellent teachers in LAUSD but the district and principals have shut shut down these professional freedoms. All the examples you've mostly used were teachers who most likely went against the orders of the district and the principal. "

Comments

[Kyle Norwood]

Teachers have less and less freedom with more and more accountability...teaching used to be a profession; I don't know what it is now.

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