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N.J. Legislature Examines Recommendations For New Teacher Evaluations

TRENTON, N.J. (WCBS 880) – If the New Jersey state legislature adopts a new recommendation, teacher evaluations could see a significant change.

WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reports

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The recommendation calls for half of a teacher's evaluation to be based on students' test scores—a measure that the New Jersey Teacher's Association and education experts say would be unreliable and should not be used in high stakes personnel decisions.

Gov. Chris Christie, however, called the association's stance troubling.

"The NJEA (New Jersey Education Associaton) is once again proving to be the dinosaur they are. They're in denial," Christie said. "I don't understand why it is that I care more about those kids than they do. It's obvious that I do because they don't want to make any changes."

Christie said that the state has 100,000 public school teachers, but only 17 were fired for poor performance in the past decade.

Opponents continue to say that the new evaluation could lead to more standardized testing of children.

Christie, meanwhile, is holding firm on his stance.

"These people are a joke. Barbara Keshishian and the executive director over there are a joke," Christie said.

If adopted by the legislature, the evaluation could be in place by September.


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