Letter: Bad state data on teachers
Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. said the district-by-district data, originally scheduled for a December release, would instead have to be put out early in 2013. Credit: istock
Regarding "State hopes teachers check job-rating data" [News, March 15], State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. is quoted saying that "an evaluation system is only useful if the data reported are accurate."
I agree with this comment, though it is missing a very important word. An evaluation system is only useful if the data reported are accurate -- and complete. For the data to be complete, we would have to quantify the myriad variables that influence a child's path.
Children have unique stories and their own reasons for academic success or the lack of it. Their overall well-being depends on surroundings and the people they interact with daily. Perhaps newspaper reporters could go as far back as the delivery room, where it all began, to investigate what took place throughout each child's life to explain where they are now academically.
Even the best scientists could not explain all the innate differences that distinguish one human from the next. Since nobody can adequately explain a child's performance in school, newspapers simply list data that are available.
Now the state Education Department is hoping that teachers will check the data, under the theory that issuing lists, and checking lists, will make kids do much better in school. It won't, but the controversy over lists like that sure will sell a lot of newspapers!
Debbie Cuttitta/Pekoff, Bellmore
Editor's note: The writer is a teacher and a parent.
