Press Releases

On Thursday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN), will hold a hearing entitled “Raising the Bar: How are Schools Measuring Teacher Performance?” The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

In addition to parental involvement, a student's success is heavily dependent on the quality of his or her teacher. Current elementary and secondary education law requires teacher quality to be measured by credentials. However, these outdated mandates have kept talented new educators out of the classroom, while allowing ineffective teachers to stay in schools for far too long.

Fortunately, states and school districts across the country are working to change the status quo and implement new systems that better evaluate a teacher’s success in the classroom. In states such as Indiana and Tennessee, for example, education leaders are implementing innovative systems that use multiple measures, including student achievement data, to identify, recruit, retain, and support highly effective teachers.

As the committee renews its efforts to reform the nation’s education system, Thursday’s hearing will provide members an opportunity to explore local evaluation programs that are enhancing teacher effectiveness in schools. To learn more about this hearing, visit www.edworkforce.house.gov/hearings.

 

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WITNESS LIST

Dr. Steve Cantrell
Chief Research Officer
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jim McIntyre
Superintendent
Knox County Schools
Knoxville, TN

Dr. Rodney Watson
Chief of Human Resources
Houston Independent School District
Houston, TX

Mr. Emanuel Harper
French Teacher
Herron High School
Indianapolis, IN