Read this: "Should parents have a voice in teacher evaluation?"

We talk about using multiple measures of teacher performance other than test scores. Well, are we ready for real parental involvement?

In his EdWeek blog, Justin Baeder riffs on an editorial in the Athens Banner-Herald that asks a provocative question and draws this conclusion:

Should Parents Have a Voice in Teacher Evaluation? – On Performance – Education Week.

If anything, parent input can provide insight into how happy the involved, informed parents are, but it provides very little information about how well a teacher is serving all students. That’s not to say it isn’t useful—indeed, parent input is very useful to teachers in reflecting on their own practice and to principals in learning what parents appreciate and value—but it certainly can’t be converted into the kind of scorecard that lawmakers seem to want.

Love to hear your thoughts on this. Share mine after the ball falls…