The UFT and the city Department of Education each submitted lengthy proposals for a New York City teacher evaluation system to the State Education Department on May 8. Education Commissioner John King will consider the proposals and decide on a final plan by June 1, in time for the start of the next school year.

The unusual process follows the DOE’s failure to negotiate a state-required evaluation plan by the original January deadline. At that point, Gov. Andrew Cuomo stepped in and amended state budget legislation to give the two sides until the end of May to negotiate an agreement on their own. Meanwhile, the amended legislation required proposals by May 8 to be followed by binding arbitration that would hammer out an evaluation system by June as a fail-safe measure. There are arbitration hearings scheduled for May 30 and May 31.

King’s plan will be used for the 2013-14 school year, but the union has the opportunity to make changes, which would go into effect the following school year, as part of contract negotiations.

“Since the evaluation plan becomes part of our contract, we can use our collective-bargaining rights to modify aspects if needed,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

Whatever the parties negotiate or King decides, the evaluation system will be based 20 percent on standardized test scores when applicable, 20 percent on other evidence of student learning and 60 percent on classroom observation and other measures of teacher effectiveness, in keeping with the 2010 state law on teacher evaluation.

The new evaluation system is designed first and foremost to help teachers get better throughout their careers. It applies targeted support for those who are struggling.