CA Gov Brown trusts the teachers in the classrooms, calls for local control. Blasts

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30. I appreciate your response.

I'd just like to point out: just because I want some change in the system doesn't mean I support charter schools. I don't necessarily oppose them, but that isn't an agenda that I am forwarding.

I'll admit I know nothing of the oversight that educators are currently required to comply with. What I do know is that I can't call up the school and say "how many of this teachers students met standards last year"; and get a meaningful answer. That's what I feel should be evaluated. It's the only way that I know how to determine if someone is an effective teacher; the proof that their students are learning.

I understand that certain subjects are difficult to evaluate by standard tests. What I hear is: "since some subjects are difficult to evaluate by standard tests; we shouldn't have any standard tests" (I don't actually hear it, but that seems to be the attitude).

It seems like those subjects that are important to me (history, math, science) that can be evaluated by standard tests are the ones that fall by the wayside, and the subjects that aren't so important to me (art, English etc) seem to get all the emphasis.

As far as charter schools; the students should have to take the same standard tests as public schools and if the students don't perform - then the schools should be shut down (same with parochial schools).

My point here is that developing a method of evaluating teachers shouldn't be that difficult. A teachers effectiveness can only be determined by evaluating their work: how much their students have learned.

When we, as parents, know which teachers are actually teaching; I think you'll find a lot less push back from parents.