Albany rejects bid to shield teacher evals

ALBANY -- The Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo rejected a bid to shield teacher evaluation reports from the public Tuesday - but the governor said he wants to explore the controversial topic over the next few months.

"I think it warrants conversation, but not in the budget," Cuomo said, referring to a push by unions to include the item in the state budget, which will be enacted over the next few days. "It's not a budget item."

Lawmakers approved a new teacher evaluation system earlier this year. Currently, the evaluations would be accessible through a Freedom of Information request.

But Cuomo openly wondered whether access could or should be limited just to parents of students, noting that work evaluations of police and fire personnel aren't publicly available.

"I believe a parent's right to know outweighs a teacher's privacy," the governor said. But once "you get beyond parents, it's less clear."