Originally when I heard about this report, I was just going to ignore it. However, after reading my own rating, upon going into my school this week to start setting up my classroom, I decided to share my thoughts. First of all, I saw that in Language Arts I was rated as "More Effective," but was rated as "Least Effective" in Math. Overall, I was given a rating of "Less Effective." One would think that with the above ratings I would at least be rated as "Average Effective," but no such luck. I was stunned at my math rating, as almost ALL of my students have earned a score of proficient or advanced on their CST the year I taught them. It was then explained to me, that the rating was not based on students’ raw scores, or if they were proficient or advanced, but rather on how much their score went up from the previous year. Almost all of my students come to me really high, so I realized that I was being penalized for KEEPING them at proficient or advanced. Now, in some instances, it was not possible to really move them higher, as they were already advanced and there is nothing higher than that.
I work at a Math/Science/Technology Magnet, and one year a third of my students came to me from third grade with a perfect 600 score in math. Yes, I have had students continue to have a perfect score. However, let's say someone who came in with a 600, went down to a 550. Well, a raw score of 550 is still a REALLY good score, and still advanced. However, it went down, so now I am labeled as ineffective??? Keeping in mind that I am not teaching 3rd. I am teaching 4th. I am teaching BRAND NEW material and more of it, as 4th grade has more new standards in math than any other grade level. I am teaching algebra. I am teaching y=2x+3 to nine year olds! I have parents request me. I have had administrators tell me that I have a "Knack" for teaching and that I should be video taped to show others how to teach, but yet I am labeled as ineffective? I am at school every day at 6:15 AM. I spend personal time grading papers, e-mailing parents, reassessing, etc. I have sacrificed myself, my time, and my time with family for a job I love, all to have someone form the LA times run something through a computer, post it without thinking about potential problems, and tear me apart and humiliate me in a couple weeks, when I have spent the last 7 years building my reputation. Am I perfect? Heck NO! No teacher is, we are human, just like everyone else. To the LA Times: I hope NO ONE does to you, what you have done to me.
I also call this report into question, as information is missing, such as test scores from another year.

I didn't need your analysis of something as meaningless as mere test scores to tell me I'm effective. I got that from the 5 teachers with whom I've worked who were my former students, or from the girl who was raised to be a wife and mother but went to medical school because I made her believe she could be more and passed that on to her younger sister, now a lawyer, or maybe the myriad of other successful adults who have come back to see me or "friend" me on Facebook. They tell me I touched their lives. That's value-added!

Most of your readers who check on this score will never read nor understand limitations involved with this study. You admit there is an inherent rate of error, but the average citizen will not read the entire article once they see a chart. Charts, diagrams, percentages and averages are highly misleading and never tell the entire story of each student. I would like more information on how you analyzed differences in a student's family life, whether they come from a single family home or have both parents around. There are economic differences which can greatly impact student performances. If the child comes from the home of an alcoholic or abusive parent, that can impact student performance at any time. A more involved parent will result in higher performance and your evaluations from the student's work and notes from parent/teacher conferences. Your chart assumes that every student who enters my classroom are all of the same skill level in regards to command of the
English language, knowledge of science and mathematics, and possessed of the same mental and age-appropriate faculties. No two students who enter my classroom are identical and thus not all will learn at the same rate. Identical twins are never identical and they were birthed by the same mother and father. Your article also assumes that the teachers who had the students before me were 100% effective in making sure the students reached the educational goals necessary for that grade level.
This is just a few of the many factors that affect student performance in education, almost all of which are beyond my control. All I can do with each incoming class is assess each student's individual level, determine what needs to be done to improve that level, and hope that when the students leave my classroom at the end of each day, they will continue at home to build on the lessons I have given them. If they don't do the work necessary, I cannot guarantee their success. Value-added may have a place in evaluation, but that should be between the teacher and the administrator. Please also know that all the teachers that I know already use test scores to evaluate their own methods and prepare for the new students coming in to their classrooms at the beginning of each year.

Administration, administration, administration. Teacher effectiveness directly mirrors administrative effectiveness. LAUSD has poor performing schools because administrators are not supportive of staff, do not deal effectively with students, cower to parents of problem students, and refuse to identify poorly performing teachers and subsequently require improvement from these teachers. Teachers lack the support needed to effectively run their classroom. Students are placed in the awkward position of feeling this pressure and will therefore lack the ability to perform at their best.

School administrators watch the discord which takes place at the District level between the Board of Education and Schools Superintendant and develop a culture of apathy as they too lack the support they need to run their school.

I am proud to be teaching. I always make every effort to reach all my students and their individual needs. (Student with learning disabilities, students with special needs, or students new to this country). I take great pleasure seeing their academic growth each year despite the challenges we all face. I am proud teaching in the community I grew-up in. I have been a mentor to many new teachers and welcome anyone to visit my class and see your tax dollars at work.

Thank you for the recognition! This is a true honor and I am grateful. I will be using the resulting credibility to write grants for enrichment programs for special education (gifted and children with other special needs).

Namaste,

Jennifer Azafrani

My comment has to do with Value - Added stats and ALL the variables we teachers encounter! For example does the VA process take into account the 5 students I had this past year who had horrendous attendance issues??? And the years prior to this one when I have had, and my colleagues at Western El., students who have substantial attendance issues? Attendance issues where by we teachers have to have on-going communication with our schools PT PSA attendance counselor. A day NOT in class is a day learning is NOT accomplished and NO fault to the teacher. It all ADDS up, the number of years I have taught and the students' who have chronic attendance issues. It happens every year here at my school whereby we have students that don't come to school. So many variables come into the equation when dealing with human beings, and the issues of poverty in our neighborhood schools and language. I think Value Added stats is significantly flawed. Please I ask anyone from the public to come into the classrooms, we teachers teach in the inner Los Angeles area, and educate effectively with outcomes on biased tests, and manage and control a classroom of 20 plus students. I have seen outsiders come in and they can't manage effectively and end up wanting to leave. The task is over whelming. Please come into our classrooms for one day and instruct without US in the rooms to assist. Value Added is flawed and does not measure ALL the variables a teacher encounters!

I am saddened by the narrow focus the L.A. Times chose to take in assessing the “effectiveness” of teachers in the LAUSD. I love children and I have been passionate about helping them become life long learners for 32 years. In my classroom, I emphasize and teach children the qualities of empathy, kindness, compassion, cooperation and tolerance, as well as academics. When children recognize and practice these qualities, they learn lessons that will last a lifetime and will be more productive and valued members of our society. This is much more “valuable” in the long run, than scoring higher on a Third Grade CST. It’s a sad commentary on our society that the writers of the L.A. Times articles did not acknowledge this aspect of their own education, otherwise they wouldn’t have published something so mean spirited and demoralizing.

I taught in a school, in a system, where social promotion almost always supersedes standards-based promotion. Consequently, every year my class was composed of students with an overwhelmingly wide range of abilities. Even though I was assigned one grade level, I felt obligated to cover previous grade-level standards, while introducing new grade-level content and skills, modifying for those behind, and adding complexity for those few advanced.
The results for the last two years I taught are thus: In 2008, my class came in with a mean scaled score of 355 on the 4th grade English test and 370 on the 4th grade math test. After a year with me, the class had a mean scaled score of 354 on the 5th grade English test and 383 on the 5th grade math test. In 2009, my class came in with a mean scaled score of 330 on the 4th grade English test and 304 on the 4th grade math test. After a year with me, the class had a mean scaled score of 324 on the 5th grade English test and 341 on the 5th grade math test. Even though I don’t have the data readily available for the previous years, the trend is similar: students hover in English and increase slightly in math.
I can accept that I may not have been as effective as other LAUSD teachers, whose class compositions may or may not have been similar to mine, in preparing my students for the 5th grade state tests. However, I DO NOT appreciate the LA Times implying, with their “less effective” ranking, that I was in negligent in tending to my students’ education. While essentially teaching a multi-grade-level class, I worked hard and long hours (much longer than my contracted time) to meet my students’ learning needs. The standardized test scores, on which my label is based, represent one snapshot of a narrow set of standards covered in my classroom.

I am pleased that my hard work is recognized with a most effective rating. However, I did not achieve this ranking on my own. Special recognition goes to my colleagues who taught the students before I became their teacher. Special recognition goes to the colleagues who observed my classroom instructions and interactions with my students and gave me critical feedback, suggestions, and strategies for improvement. Special thanks to the parents who entrusted me with their babies and held us- me and their children - to high expectations. Much gratitude to the students who displayed their tough-minded smarts through out the school year, but especially, during testing.These people" added value" to my teaching, learning experience, and growth as an educator.