Friday Churn: Evaluation appeals

What’s churning:

The State Council for Educator Effectiveness today tackles a touchy part of the state’s new educator evaluation system – the appeals process for teachers who lose non-probationary status because of poor evaluations.

No appeals process was included in Senate Bill 10-191 when the controversial measure was passed, and the task was instead delegated to the council. That group spent much of 2010 developing other parts of the principal and teacher evaluation system, passing those recommendations on to the State Board of Education last year.

SBE passed S.B. 10-191 rules in November, and those now are being reviewed by the legislature (see story.)

It’s not clear yet whether the council and the board will be able to get appeals regulations in shape quickly enough for the 2012 legislative session to also consider them.

The council meets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Daniels Fund, 101 Monroe St. The group has another meeting scheduled on Feb. 3. More information on the council here.

What’s on tap:

Denver school board members will gather for a retreat today from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Grant Street Mansion, 1115 Grant St. Desired outcomes from the retreat, as stated on its agenda, include brainstorming “an ideal vision” for the DPS school board and the district as well as clarifying the “school board role and performance of the superintendent given the vision.” From about 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the board will be in a closed executive session, for the purpose of discussing employment, evaluation and contractual matters related to Superintendent Tom Boasberg.

DPS Superintendent Boasberg, meanwhile, will be at a 9:30 a.m. news conference today at Lincoln High School, where he’s expected to announce an increase in the district’s on-time – meaning four-year – graduation rate. State education officials are expected to release the data this morning and EdNews will have a report.

Good reads from elsewhere:

There are no firm plans yet, but the St. Vrain Valley School District and the city of Dacono might have a verbal deal, according to the Longmont Times-Call, that would pave the way for construction of a new elementary school—eventually. The city is split between St. Vrain and Fort Lupton school districts, and city officials have long sought a school in their community.

“Personalized education” is the theme of a new plan forwarded by the Maine Department of Education, according to the Kennebec Journal. The new plan promotes rigorous standards, emphasizes the idea of students demonstrating proficiency in order to move on and allows for flexibility in how students learn.

The EdNews’ Churn is a daily roundup of briefs, notes and meetings in the world of Colorado education. To submit an item for consideration in this listing, please email us at EdNews@EdNewsColorado.org.