Optimism for teacher-evaluation compromise

ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday that he's confident a compromise will be struck to change the process for evaluating school teachers by the Thursday deadline he set.

The New York State United Teachers union "agrees with the governor's optimism" about a settlement, spokesman Carl Korn said.

The federal government has said a delay in implementing an evaluation system could endanger $700 million in aid to New York State.

In addition, Cuomo has said that any district that doesn't implement a new teacher-evaluation system by January 2013 will have to forgo its share of an $805 million increase in school aid planned for this year. School districts have until 2013 to work out a system with their local unions.

At a State Capitol news conference Tuesday, the governor and his top aides said talks between the state Education Department and teachers' unions are progressing.

"I think all the parties are committed to reaching an agreement prior to Thursday, and I do think there's a collegiality in the air, in these meetings and in these discussions and negotiations," Larry Schwartz, secretary to the governor, said in updating the issue that is absorbing much of the political oxygen in Albany at the moment.

Schwartz said negotiations have been "very constructive, productive and they've been fruitful."

Cuomo added that the teacher-evaluation law was "highly prescriptive," leaving not many issues to bargain over.

"The law is a highly prescriptive law," Cuomo said. "There's not a lot of wiggle room, which is one of the reasons I'm optimistic they are going to get it done."

Cuomo also said New York City schools could lose out on $300 million in state aid if Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the United Federation of Teachers can't agree on a local evaluation program. But the governor said he would not impose a plan on city schools.

At issue is a 2010 law that would make students' tests scores account for at least 20 percent of a teacher's evaluation. In moving to implement the law, the state Education Department proposed making it count up to 40 percent.

NYSUT sued and won at the first court level, but the state has appealed and the sides haven't reached a settlement.

Newsday reported Tuesday that the outcome of New York's negotiations is being closely watched across the nation. The new standards, adopted in some form by nearly every state, link teacher ratings to student performance. The federal government is promoting the process as an important step in education reform.

Citing the lack of an agreement, Cuomo last month gave the sides until Thursday to resolve it or he'd put a new evaluation system in the budget legislation, which would have to be approved by the Legislature. Though he hasn't spelled out his plan, the Democrat has criticized the 2010 law as weak.

State Education Department officials declined to comment.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) have largely stayed out of the fight, other than saying they hope the issue will be resolved.