Teacher testing quickly became an issue in the gubernatorial race. But as the dust settled, Massachusetts policymakers charted a less punitive course that reflects a growing awareness among states of their own responsibility in helping to produce a pool of high-caliber teachers. We talk a lot about student performance and standards. Now we're talking about bringing teachers to the point where they really have the tools they need. Some states, to be sure, hold principals and teachers accountable for results, particularly if they work in low-performing schools.
Principals can and do lose their jobs.
Ten states have laws giving them the authority to remove principals or teachers from low-performing schools. Only a handful of states have actually used such powers. Singling out teachers for poor performance is a tricky proposition for which few states have much stomach. In Tennessee, the Value-Added Assessment System generates information on the performance of each teacher's students that principals may use, if they choose, in recommending professional development. The results are kept confidential.