School Board Tie Vote Means Faulty Evaluation System Not Renewed

HOUSTON—The Houston Independent School District will not be renewing the district’s seriously flawed teacher evaluation system, good news for students, teachers and the community, but the school board and incoming superintendent must work with educators and others to choose a more effective system, the Houston Federation of Teachers said tonight.

Because of a 3-3 tie, the school board rejected an effort to continue with EVAAS (Education Value-Added Assessment System), which has been roundly criticized as unreliable. The statistical formula—which is secret—is used to project how well students should perform on standardized tests based on each child’s past scores. Teachers are given scores that supposedly value their effect on student learning; results determine their evaluations, bonuses and even terminations. Numerous prestigious national groups, including the American Statistical Association and the Economic Policy Institute, have slammed value-added systems, finding they do not accurately evaluate a teacher’s performance. Seven Houston teachers filed a federal lawsuit in 2014 against EVAAS; a decision is pending.

“It would have been unconscionable for Houston to waste $680,000 on a seriously flawed system that does not help teachers or students. Instead of investing in a repudiated test-driven system, we need to start investing in programs that have positive track records and will actually help improve teaching and learning,” HFT President Zeph Capo said.

A new teacher evaluation system is just one of many critically important decisions that an incoming superintendent needs to make that are in the best interest of schools and kids.

“We need policymakers who can be trusted to make smart decisions that will help, not harm, the education of our kids. Once again, we are calling on the board to allow a community advisory committee to help select a superintendent. This is the only way to be confident that a diverse group of community voices are heard in the selection process,” Capo said.

The three members who voted to renew the contract were Manuel Rodriguez Jr., Anna Eastman and Harvin Moore. The three members who voted against continuation of the contract were Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Jolanda Jones and Wanda Adams.