The Connecticut State Department of Education is in the process of creating new guidelines for teacher evaluation. If approved by Connecticut’s State Board of Education, these new guidelines are scheduled to be made public this spring and will require that every district rewrite or substantially revise its existing evaluation plans for both teachers and administrators.
Districts will be able to make these changes over the course of the 2022-2023 school year, and if new plans are approved by the CSDE, they will go into effect in 2023-2024. Districts wishing to implement the existing evaluation flexibilities while the revision process is underway will be permitted to do so.
“CEA used its voice on the EES Council to advocate for a simpler, streamlined evaluation process that minimizes stress and saves time, allowing teachers to focus less on paperwork and more on teaching and learning,” says CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey, who serves on the council. “We also advocated for new guidelines that are not punitive in nature, but rather clearly focused on supporting educator growth and innovation.”
DeLancey continues, “Your input into the new guidelines is critical. If you don’t serve on your local professional development committee (PDEC), please reach out to your colleagues who do, or to your local union president, to make sure your voice is heard.”
The new guidelines are being created in collaboration with the Educator Evaluation and Support Council (EES), consisting of major stakeholder groups that include CEA, AFT-CT, the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), and the Regional Education Service Centers (RESC) Alliance, among others. Direct input from PDEC members, teachers, and administrators also helped shape some of the upcoming changes.
CEA will share the new state guidelines as soon as they are approved and made available. Watch your inbox for additional guidance from CEA on implementing evaluation changes in ways that alleviate stress, save time, and promote teacher and student growth and wellbeing.
What teachers need to know:
- New, improved teacher evaluation guidelines are coming soon.
- PDECs need to be ready to implement upcoming changes over the 2022-2023 school year. All changes must be made through mutual agreement among members of the PDEC.
- If you are not on the PDEC, make sure to share your ideas with a member of your PDEC or your local union president to ensure your voice is part of the revision process.
- If you are a local president, consider dedicating an association meeting to understanding the new guidelines and soliciting feedback from teachers to help guide the PDEC’s decisions. CEA is available to assist at any point in the process.
- Evaluation flexibilities in place this year can be extended into next year. If your district did not adopt the flexibilities this year, the PDEC may still mutually agree to do so next year.
- Be on the lookout for future guidance from CEA on implementing the new guidelines in teacher-friendly ways.
