Update: Letter Opposing Publication Of Value-Added Scores*

"On behalf of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, all signatories to the L.A. Compact, we urgently request that the Los Angeles Times give serious consideration to not publicly release individual teacher “value-added” or academic growth over time (AGT) ratings.  So begins the one-page letter sent to the LA Times last month (Letter to LA Times 4 26 11 PDF).  The main concern expressed in the letter is that the LAT ratings and the ones being rolled out by LAUSD are different, and will create confusion and delay.  The LA Times mentioned the letter prominently in its story yesterday but declined to release the letter to me today, citing privacy issues (of all things):  "The letter is not a public document and we are unable to provide it to you." [*exclusive?]

Comments

[Smithers]

Yes, they asked the Times to stop publishing because for years, the district had this information and teachers as well. They got to see how students did. The data is only a tool in instruction, but the Times wants to implement its own system like if they are the true educators and therefore made a Boondoggle of trivial information for public viewership.