Charter Schools Chart Course for Teacher Evaluations

Following a parallel but very different path from their district school brethren, New Jersey’s charter schools are finalizing plans for how they will evaluate their teachers and principals.

Unlike district schools, charter schools do not fall under the state’s new tenure reform bill, known as TEACHNJ, which specifies much of how evaluations must be conducted and teachers rated. And very unlike district schools, New Jersey’s charter schools are not required at all to use student achievement measures, including in state testing, to measure their individual teachers – avoiding an issue that has roiled school districts and their educators.

But the charter schools are still required to submit evaluation plans for state approval. Facing a June 30 deadline, the charter schools have begun to file those plans, which range from ones that mirror district plans to those that are entirely home-grown.

As of last week, about 10 plans had been filed by charter schools, including two released by the state -- one includes student achievement as a prominent measure and the other doesn’t mention it. The state would not release the other plans until they are approved, a spokeswoman said.

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