Teacher reforms will lift students

Across the country, education reform efforts are calling for bold changes that put students first in all decisions about policies and practices in classrooms, schools and school divisions.

Here in the commonwealth, Gov. Bob McDonnell has outlined his 2012 "Opportunity to Learn" agenda, which would enhance the teacher evaluation and tenure process and expand the opportunity for high-quality public charter schools. This agenda puts students and families first by providing high-quality educational options and ensuring that we have professional and competent educators in the classroom. I have advocated both concepts since my service as secretary of education. Now is the time to make them a reality.

I am a huge supporter of teachers. My mother was a public school teacher for 30 years. I have many family members who have been teachers or principals. Because teaching is the most important responsibility in this country, we need to ensure that our teachers have the tools and support they need to educate our future engineers, physicists, nurses and teachers. That means decent pay, safe working conditions, flexibility in how they do their job, professional development opportunities and parental support.

House Bill 576 patroned by Del. Dickie Bell seeks to enhance teacher quality by using performance evaluations when issuing teacher contracts. Currently, teachers are placed on a three-year probationary period. During this time, a teacher may be relieved of his or her duties at the end of each school year. After the three-year probationary period, a teacher is then placed on a continuing contract, commonly referred to as tenure. Once a teacher is placed on a continuing contract, the teacher is guaranteed a contract unless that teacher is found incompetent, immoral, convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude, found noncompliant with school laws and regulations or can be dismissed for other good and just causes.

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Despite the close Senate vote last week against the teacher evaluation and contract legislation, the governor and I continue to be committed to this important education reform. This issue still has a long way to go, and the administration is committed to strongly advocating for the successful House version of this legislation.

Under Gov. McDonnell's proposal, current teachers with continuing contracts would be grandfathered, but all new hires and probationary teachers, principals and superintendents would be issued a three-year term contract after a five-year probationary period. During this three-year term contract, teachers, principals and superintendents would be informally or formally evaluated every year.

A teacher, principal or superintendent who receives an unsatisfactory evaluation could be placed on probation. At the end of the three-year term, the contract of a teacher, principal or superintendent who received a satisfactory evaluation would be renewed. The contract of a teacher, principal or superintendent who receives an unsatisfactory evaluation could not be renewed for another three years.

This legislation primarily focuses on putting the best possible teachers in the classroom. We need to evaluate our teachers, principals and superintendents, just as all other professions are evaluated, based on performance.

I've been in as many classrooms as anyone who has served as Virginia secretary of education. I've also served every year as a judge for the Virginia Lottery's "Super Teachers" award. I can attest that while the majority of teachers in the commonwealth are good, competent and of high quality, there are some who are not providing our students with the type of training they need to compete in a global economy. A fair, properly structured and rigorous evaluation system would provide these teachers with the help they need to improve or result in them seeking other employment for which they are better suited.

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This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Indeed, expanded use of teacher evaluations and charter schools are advocated by both Gov. McDonnell and President Obama. This is an issue about our children's best chance to succeed. In order for Virginia's students to have the skills necessary to compete in the 21st-century global economy, they need the best available teachers. In addition, our educators must have every useful option available to help them improve student achievement including innovative approaches.

Today that means having enhanced options to use charter schools. This is especially true for our lower-performing schools. Successful charter schools use innovative approaches such as extended instructional time, summer school, focused curriculum and other creative approaches to stimulate learning.

Charter schools are not a "silver bullet." They may not work in every situation, but the data is clear that charter schools have been successful in many school districts across the country, especially with students who have not performed well under traditional approaches.

Virginia's current charter school law is extremely weak. It permits only local school boards to approve charters, provides minimal structure for charter agreements and offers charter school operators only minimal operating autonomy. In other jurisdictions, best practices permit the state board of education or other approved entities to also authorize public charter schools, consistent with legislative guidelines. Nationally, there are more than 5,200 charter schools. Virginia has only four.

The governor's proposed charter school legislation would provide charters with more autonomy in decision-making, provide accountability by allowing school boards to develop performance metrics, allow charters to use vacant or unused school system properties and provide for funding to follow the student to the charter school. Enactment of these changes would give Virginia a more inviting environment for charters and provide parents and educators a fuller array of options to help their students prepare for life and the work force.

I urge support for the governor's proposals to enhance teacher quality and provide expanded educational options for students in the commonwealth. We must finally put students first when we debate educational policy and base our actions on what is needed to best prepare our students to succeed in a global economy. That's what guides my continuing and compassionate support for constantly improving the commonwealth's education system. I want my five (soon to be six) grandchildren to have the best opportunity to get the education they need and deserve to become productive, prepared and successful citizens.