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 The 2009 legislature has its first education assignment.
The state Quality Teachers Commission, created by lawmakers in 2007, this week issued a report unanimously recommending that the state create pilot programs to determine whether unique identifying numbers for teachers and principals can be used in combination with other data for research on the relationships between school quality and student achievement and teachers’ training, education, experience and other factors.
Many education researchers believe the data analysis made possible by unique teacher IDs could provide useful information for improvements in teacher recruitment, training, retention, classroom teaching, design of curricula and education programs and working conditions, among other things.
The commission’s report noted that better data could help address the “teacher gap,” the problem of the most needy and challenging schools being served by less-experienced teachers.
Some teachers are nervous about IDs because of concerns data could be used unfairly and inappropriately in hiring, assignments, discipline and other personnel matters. And, in an age of identity theft, there also are worries about the security and confidentiality of teacher data.
The commission’s recommendations carefully note such concerns and explicitly state “The teacher/principal identifier is not intended to sanction teachers or principals through
decisions about salary, promotion, or evaluation.” The report contains a long list of things the ID should not be used for and of protections, including strict security for teacher Social Security numbers. (The teacher ID would be separate.)
The next step for the commission and others interested in the issue is to find legislative sponsors (which shouldn’t be a problem), draft legislation and begin thinking of funding sources (which could be a little more of a problem).
The pilot programs would include principals and teachers in a number of districts, and it would take some time both to design the program and gather sufficient data to be useful for research. So, it’s likely that a program covering all Colorado teachers would be some years in the future.
The commission also recommended that its life be extended until June 2010 so that it could monitor the startup of the pilots.
If the Democrats retain control of the legislature, it’s a good bet that teacher ID legislation would pass. But, it would be closely watched by the various education interest groups, especially the teachers’ unions.
The commission’s members represent a broad range of education interests, so the proposal isn’t a surprise, nor does it come just from certain segments of the Colorado education world.
The members are:
- Chairman: Scott Groginsky, president of the Gilpin County School Board (and a lobbyist for the Colorado Children’s Campaign)
- Vice Chairman: Nate Howard, principal of Smiley Middle School in Denver
- Nella Anderson, director of teacher education at Western State College
- Julie Carnahan, chief academic officer for the Department of Higher
- Education
- Maria del Carmen Salazar, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the
- University of Denver
- Matt Gianneschi, education advisor to Gov. Bill Ritter
- Bill Hodges, assistant superintendent for human resources with Douglas
- County Schools
- Evie Hudak, member of the State Board of Education and a Democratic legislative candidate
- Lisa Kramer, Littleton parent
- Karen Mock, deputy commissioner of Department of Education
- Jacqueline Paone, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Teaching
- Deidre Roque, Pueblo teacher
- Kim Ursetta, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association
There was no major teacher-quality legislation passed during the 2008 legislative session, although bills to create a statewide survey of school working conditions, provide stipends for nationally certified teachers, establish a principal training academy and provide planning funds for alternative teacher-pay systems were signed into law.
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