Diana Senechal imagines a conversation between a principal and a parent to discuss the teacher’s’ value-added ratings. This is the conversation that Mayor Bloomberg hopes will happen in every school. He wants every principal to contact every parent and tell them the rating of their child’s teacher. I blogged about that recently.
But what would the principal say if he thinks it is wrong to make teachers’ ratings public? What would she or he say if they honestly believe that the ratings are so inaccurate that they are worthless?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I am going to take the contrary position. VAM is not a valid measurement. If the scores are released, it will continue to expose VAM as a fraud, but if it is hidden in some secret file, it might continue for years. If a teacher is great, but he is listed as needing improvement because of VAM’s junk science, the principal should have to have an uncomfortable conversation explaining it. In the famous words of Arne Duncan, “What’s there to hide?”
Happy July 4th everyone!
Thank you, Diane! Here is the updated link:
http://open.salon.com/blog/dianasenechal/2012/06/28/the_mayors_dream_dialogue
fixed
I think the answer is simple
Every time asked, say 100 🙂
Careful Carol,
You’re gonna be recommended to be certified as a Mr. Teachbad “difficult principal”.
What will the principals do? In my experience they will trumpet the great resource that is VAM, that it is the best thing since sliced bread. They will trumpet it because they know who butters their bread!!
(turn off snarkomatic machine now)
Yes, I’m that cynical-comes with the territory of being a Mr. Teachbad certified “difficult teacher”.
And what principal of a large high school has time to call each of his or her 2000 + students–especially when the parents don’t speak English or the number is disconnected or the number is wrong or the phone is picked up by the student who hasn’t been in school for 3 weeks
What will the Principal Say? Well, I am an elementary school principal. What I intend to say to a parent is: “Follow The Money.” I hope to give them copies of the articles in the attached links. How will they feel when they learn that the Libyan Dictatorship Partially Owned Pearson Publishing?
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12464
Cowgirl