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Teacher's Association, School Committee Adopt Memorandum of Understanding on Teacher Evaluation

The School Committee voted unanimously at their Oct. 3 meeting to adopt a Memorandum of Understanding concerning evaluation of teachers under a federal education program designed to improve teacher and student performance. Groton-Dunstable Educator's Association had voted earlier to adopt the Memorandum of Understanding which will allow the new evaluation system to proceed this year

without the necessity of re-opening contract negotiations between the District and teachers. The Memorandum of Understanding is effective for a year and can be extended by vote of the School Committee and the GDEA. Terms of the Memorandum will also be a negotiable item when contract talks are undertaken.

The new teacher evaluation system adopted by the School Committee and teachers association is one developed and recommended by the state for local school districts and is more involved than previous systems. Interim Superintendent Anthony Bent said, "It is substantially better than previous evaluation systems...It is a terrific system but quite substantial." Under the new evaluation system, teachers will be evaluated on four standards broadly titled: 1) Curriculum, Planning and Testing; 2) Teaching All Students; 3) Family and Community Engagement; and 4) Professional Culture.

The Memorandum of Understanding allows for 50 percent of teaching staff in the District to be evaluated under the new system in 2012-13. The evaluation will include multiple factors such as in-class observations, participating in meetings, student achievement/growth and professional development. Non-professional status teachers will also undergo a full observation process as will professional status teachers on an improvement plan.

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