Schools

State aid, teacher evaluations on the way

Lynbrook, East Rockaway each receive more than a 9.5 percent increase

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After weeks of planning for the 2015-2016 school year with no knowledge of state aid figures, administrators in the Lynbrook and East Rockaway school district learned their increase in funding from Albany will be tied to increased state control of the teacher evaluation process.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $157-million increase in state funding for Long Island schools including $463,392 more for East Rockaway and $731, 411 additional for Lynbrook, increases of 9.56 percent and 9.64 percent, respectively. That additional funding, however, doesn’t come without stipulations, however, as schools will have to alter their teacher evaluation process, handing more power over to the New York State Education Department.

Student scores on state testing will now make up 50 percent of a teacher’s overall evaluation. The same test previously determined just 20 percent of an educators rating. In addition, classroom observation, previously conducted by local administrators, will be overseen by the state. Schools must submit a new teacher review plan that follows the new regulations by November, after more specific regulations are released by the state this summer.

Dr. Melissa Burak, superintendent of the Lynbrook school district, said that she was glad to see an increase in aid for the district, the conditions attached to the bump will cause serious problems for local schools.

“While I am very appreciative of the additional state aid package for the school district, it is very disheartening that the aid is predicated on a new teacher evaluation plan, which must be negotiated by Nov. 15,” she aid. “Therefore, the aid cannot be used unless there is an approved plan in place. Since the details for the plan will not be available until June, this makes it is almost impossible to identify how any additional money will be used, if we receive it at all.”

Administrators are not the only ones with qualms regarding the new evaluation process, according to Craig Kirchenberg, the president of the Lynbrook Teacher’s Association.

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