WHEREAS, the New York State Legislature included in the budget for 2015-16  changes to the teacher evaluation system for which details are to be worked out by the New York State Education Department, headed the state Board of Regents; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Regents therefore has significant responsibility to help ensure that the new evaluation system works to strengthen instruction and student learning as part of a system that attracts, develops and retains great teachers; and

WHEREAS, to ensure that teacher evaluations work as intended, it is critical that the state’s system limit the impact of state standardized tests and maximize local control; and

WHEREAS, educators in the our public schools have the firsthand experience to help Regents in this task of developing an evaluation system that works to support teachers, schools and students; and

WHEREAS, with the state Legislature’s recent appointments to the Board of Regents, the board now includes more members with a public education background; and

WHEREAS, it is important that educators and parents engage with the Board of Regents about both the strengths and challenges facing public schools in our city; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the United Federation of Teachers calls on the Board of Regents to hold public hearings in New York City as a means of engaging educators and the public in the implementation of the mandated changes to the teacher evaluation system; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT will use these hearings as well as other opportunities for meeting and communicating with the Board of Regents to ensure that the teacher evaluation system achieves our goals of supporting and furthering the professional growth of teachers in ways that are fair, collaborative and beneficial to our schools, educators and students.