Teacher Evaluation Changes to be Outlined

Superintendent Michael LaSusa will report on a new framework for teacher evaluations before the Board of Education Monday.

Changes to teacher evaluations are mandated under a new state law, called the Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act.

The changes to teacher evaluations went into effect almost immediately after Gov. Chris Christie signed it in August, while other parts of the law go into effect over the course of the 2012-13 school year.

"Last year the state had approved four different models" for teacher evaluations, LaSusa said, "including the Charlotte Danielson model, which is a pretty well-known one."

The Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching spells out the skills and competencies that outstanding teachers need in four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities.

"If you go with one of the models that the state has approved," LaSusa said, they are far more likely to endorse the board's decision. "That's one of the benefits of Danielson," though the district will need to include student performance indicators in their rubric.

According to LaSusa, this can be anything from final exams to common assessments.

Business Administrator Peter Daquila will give a presentation on the district's 2011-12 budget audit report as performed by Wiss and Co.

In recent years, the school's audit report has been strong, with no red flags or material weaknesses found by the auditors. For the past four years, the district has been awarded Certificates of Excellence for its financial reporting.

In 2011, the School District of the Chathams was one of only 22 schools granted a certificate.

The Board of Education meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Chatham Township Municipal Building. A full agenda for the meeting can be found in the Photos & Documents section of this article.