Researchers at Arizona State University produced a 14-minute video to demonstrate how value-added-assessment actually works and how inaccurate it is.
It is easy to watch and presents a clear explanation of this flawed measurement system that reduces teachers and students to data.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Off topic, but Eugene Robinson has a terrific defense of teachers in today’s Washington Post called “Standing Up For Teachers”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-standing-up-for-teachers/2012/09/17/ad3ee650-00fd-11e2-b257-e1c2b3548a4a_print.html
Mr. Robinson really gets the issues – and really skewers reformers.
I love how he characterizes the reformers as the “brie and chablis” set and brings an “inconvenient truth” to them – poverty matters.
Please post this column, Diane. This will hearten teachers all across the country, I think.
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His email is at the bottom of the article. Thank you for posting this.
I sent him a thank you. Maybe we all can extend our gratitude to Mr. Robinson.
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This was an excellent piece to boost and to up teacher morale. I did post it in several places.
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Everyone should watch the 14 minute video that Diane posted.
The value-added teacher evaluations are insidiously flawed.
If I used similar formulas to evaluate my students, parent would be aghast, and rightly so.
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Oops … parentS
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VAM is the new SPAM …
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I like that description – pithy and truthful.
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Where’s Mony Python when you need em?
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No one expects the Vamish Inquisition …
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Imagine asking people across the country what they believe makes a good teacher. They would probably memtion a favorite teacher they had and talk about their preparation, their extensive knowledge, humor, availability, etc. No reasonable person would ever say goos teachers raise quiz and test scores. So much of this reform flies in the face of common sense. Thanks for posting this, i will definately share.
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