Hamilton County has two local connections on the newly minted 15-person statewide committee that will determine how teachers are evaluated.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen named Normal Park Museum Magnet principal Jill Levine and former Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Jesse Register – now director of the Metro Nashville district – to the committee.
Lawmakers in January approved the group’s creation as part of the state’s application for federal Race to the Top stimulus money. Teacher evaluations now will take place every year, and student test scores will have a larger impact on tenure decisions. The committee will decide how that will work.
Issues to be ironed out include how to award tenure for teachers of subjects such as art, physical education and music, which have no state standardized test.
The 15-member committee includes teachers, principals, lawmakers and a superintendent.