dated January 12, 2010

What the New State Education Reform Laws Do:

· Amends the School Code to require that teacher and administrator evaluations are “rigorous,
transparent, and fair.” Also requires that they are:

• Done annually with timely and constructive feedback

• Establish clear approaches to measuring student growth and provide teachers and
  administrators with relevant data on student growth

• Evaluate job performance with multiple rating categories that take student growth data
  into account as a significant factor
  

Use the evaluations to inform decisions on:

• The effectiveness of teachers and administrators, ensuring ample opportunities
  for improvement

• Promotion, retention, and development

• Whether to grant tenure and full certification

• Removing ineffective teachers and administrators after they have had ample
  opportunities to improve

• Amends the School Code to require that a public school shall implement and maintain a method of compensation for teachers and administrators that includes job performance and
  accomplishments as a significant factor in determining compensation and additional
  compensation

• Amends the School Code to create a new process for improving low-achieving schools.

• Amends the Public Employment Relations Act over privatization bidding. The association must be given an equal chance to bid on the work to be privatized. Allows for bargaining over the bidding process.

• Allows for the creation of some “Schools of Excellence” which are current charter schools that meet certain requirements

• Allows for the creation of two Cyberschools

• Establishes a new alternative teacher certification process

• Establishes the right of teachers to basic instructional supplies and establishes a procedure for filing complaints

• Allows teachers and counselors as well as parents to be able to request a student personal
  curriculum

• Requires certification of school administrators, if employed after the date the law passed

• Changes the Algebra II graduation requirement

• The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) must create a teacher identifier system that matches teachers to student assessment data
  

Note: This is simply a brief listing. The changes are many with implications for our members. MEA will be providing much more in-depth analysis and advice.

Prepared by MEA Professional Development/Human Rights Department.