Teachers Matter Author Headlines First Independence Institute Brown Bag Lunch Event

On Thursday, April 12, the Independence Institute Freedom Embassy hosted its first-ever Brown Bag Lunch event with a presentation on the research that informs educator effectiveness policies. Manhattan Institute senior fellow and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs professor Dr. Marcus A. Winters shared the findings from his new book Teachers Matter with an audience [...]

Research Says Teachers (and Teacher Policy) Matter

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs professor and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Dr. Marcus Winters discusses the major themes of his new book Teachers Matter. Learn what research has to say about how to identify, promote and reward effective teachers.

DeGrow Comments on Colorado’s Educator Effectiveness Policy Progress

A story today on American Family Radio News (One News Now) about Colorado’s latest step toward measuring teachers based on effectiveness featured comments from senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow. In an interview with reporter Bob Kellogg, DeGrow put the development in context and urged the state to move toward performance-based educator pay.

Let’s Pay Teachers to Be Effective, Too

Colorado is one key step closer to distinguishing teachers who effectively help students learn from those who don’t. But we certainly haven’t overcome every obstacle to delivering top-notch instruction.The same effectiveness measures that will be used to evaluate and make tenure-related decisions ought to factor significantly into how principals and instructors are paid. This logical leap forward from rewarding educators based on years of service and academic credentials can be enhanced further by paying more for harder job and school assignments.

School Districts “Eager” to Help in Educator Effectiveness Pilot, Questions Linger

Ed News Colorado and the Denver Post both report that 41 school districts have applied to participate in the pilot for the state’s new educator effectiveness law (aka SB 191). It’s not the first Colorado major education reform program of the year in which participation has exceeded all expectations. Yet, based on reports, questions still remain about when teacher tenure will begin to be affected by the new performance evaluations.

Ed News Colorado Highlights Center Testimony on Educator Effectiveness Implementation

During public testimony at the May 12, 2011, meeting of the Colorado State Board of Education, senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow shared some preliminary insights concerning the implementation of educator effectiveness legislation (SB 191). Ed News Colorado’s Todd Engdahl highlighted one of the key points he made:
Ben DeGrow of the Independence Institute said it’s “imperative” [...]

Upgrading Colorado Teacher Policies

Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, discusses the latest annual update to her group’s State Teacher Policy Yearbook. She explores the impact of 2010’s groundbreaking Senate Bill 191 and highlights key areas where Colorado can improve its teacher policies.

Kit Carson: Colorado’s First Innovation District?

Superintendent Gerald Keefe explains why his 100-student Kit Carson School District is seeking the State Board of Education’s approval to become Colorado’s first district of innovation. On the table is a proposal that would open up Kit Carson to non-licensed teachers, remove tenure as a career-long guarantee and adopt a locally-tailored instructional evaluation system.

Colorado Loses Race to the Top: Now What?

Randy DeHoff from the State Board of Education recaps how Colorado fell short in the Race to the Top federal grant competition, and discusses the aftermath for the state’s teacher tenure and evaluation reform (SB 191), Common Core academic standards and more.

Kit Carson: Innovation Rural School Pioneer?

Since Colorado pioneered the Innovation Schools Act in 2008, enabling district-run public schools to seek greater autonomy over program and personnel, only schools in Denver have seized the opportunity. Until now, that is. Kit Carson superintendent Gerald Keefe discusses how his rural district is pursuing innovation school status in order to enact new policies for evaluating and dismissing teachers.