Rockville Centre Letters to the Editor

Decries teacher evaluation system

To the Editor:

I question New York state’s value-added modeling teacher evaluation system, which has led to one highly respected Great Neck teacher, Sheri Lederman, taking her case to court after being rated “ineffective” by the faulty system. I, along with most of the Assembly Republican conference, staunchly opposed Governor Cuomo’s poorly devised teacher evaluation overhaul, which passed as part of the 2015-16 state budget.

I currently serve on the Assembly Committee on Education and have been a longtime proponent of local education and a critic of the Common Core State Standards.

The fact that Ms. Lederman must take her case to court to save her reputation further enforces Cuomo’s and Assembly Democrats’ war on teachers. Decisions about education should remain in the classroom, and our students deserve better.

Value-added modeling is used as the primary teacher evaluation system in several states, including New York. How can we base teacher evaluations largely on Common Core tests when the curriculum was irresponsibly implemented, and teachers, parents and students had virtually no input on how our educators are evaluated? This new method takes education out of our classrooms and puts tenure and promotion decisions in the hands of state bureaucrats –– the same people who thoughtlessly forced Common Core into our classrooms.

Numerous experts and colleagues of Ms. Lederman have come out on her behalf, and oral arguments in her lawsuit began last Wednesday in New York Supreme Court.

David McDonough

State assemblyman, 14th District

Slow down for sani workers

To the Editor:

Let’s give our sanitation workers a break and slow down or stop when approaching them on their routes. I have seen too many drivers squeezing by or speeding past the trucks and/or workers. For safety’s sake, please slow down.

Tom Gallucci

Rockville Centre