For the first time in New Jersey, teachers in nine pilot districts will be judged half on student academic performance and half on classroom observations
Governor Chris Christie; stands with Physics instructor, Joseph Mastroeni; as he engages students from an honors Physics class during a school visit where the Governor later discussed the introduction of a NJ Teacher Evaluation Pilot Program at the Roy W. Brown Middle School in Bergenfield.BERGENFIELD — Gov. Chris Christie stressed the importance of staffing the state’s public school classrooms with high-quality teachers during a visit today to Bergenfield’s Roy W. Brown Middle School.
Bergenfield is one of nine districts selected by the state to share $1.1 million to pilot a new teacher evaluation system the governor hopes to roll out statewide by fall 2012.
For the first time, teachers in the pilot districts will be judged half on student academic performance and half on classroom observations. Christie praised Bergenfield as a district that already evaluates its teachers using rigorous standards.
“The biggest problem in education is our comfort level,” Christie said. “We need to push our adults to do better before we can expect them to push our children.”
With a pension and health benefits reform victory under his belt, getting his education reform proposals through a politically divided legislature will be Christie’s next challenge.
If he succeeds, teachers’ success or failure under the new evaluation system could soon affect their tenure, salary or job security — reforms the state’s largest teachers union staunchly opposes.
Christie said, however, that most of the nine districts participating in the teacher evaluation pilot program had support from their local union leaders.
“If they are willing to be partners in real reform, they will have a seat at the table,” Christie said of the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. “They have a seat at the table on this.”
Related coverage:
• N.J. set to pilot new teacher evaluation systems
• Acting N.J. education chief unveils Christie's plan to reform teacher tenure, introduce merit pay