Vicki Levy Pershes

A 5th grade teacher at Gledhill Street Elementary in 2009

These graphs show a teacher's "value-added" rating based on his or her students' progress on the California Standards Tests in math and English. The Times’ analysis used all valid student scores available for this teacher from the 2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years. The value-added scores reflect a teacher's effectiveness at raising standardized test scores and, as such, capture only one aspect of a teacher's work.

Overall value-added effectiveness

Math effectiveness

English effectiveness

This chart shows where teachers in this effectiveness category fall on a distribution of all teachers’ scores.

Compared with other Los Angeles Unified teachers on the value-added measure of test score improvement, Pershes ranked:

Less effective than average overall.
Less effective than average in math. Students of teachers in this category, on average, lost about 4 percentile points on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.
Average in English. Students of teachers in this category, on average, did not gain or lose significantly on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.

Pershes' LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Gledhill Street Elementary, 2009 - 2003

Vicki Pershes's Response:

L A Times Rebuttal

Quite frankly I’m extremely confused about how the L. A. Times value-added measure of effective performance is calculated. Since at best my effectiveness is merely average, then why in the real world do parents repeatedly request that their subsequent children be taught by me? More often than not I teach all the children in a family by request. Why am I considered a good, if not excellent teacher by my peers? Additionally, I have been nominated by former students when graduating from High School as an excellent teacher that has had a positive influence in their lives and their education. Furthermore, I’ve been included in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers on several occasions.

In our current economic recession, when more experienced teachers have taken what amounts to a two-year pay cut to keep good, though less experienced teachers, from leaving education entirely, this so called L. A. Times value-added measure of performance emerges at about the same time as our state has released the current CST scores. This L. A. Times value-added measure of effective performance strongly reeks as another method of teacher bashing.
Students are not widgets, how dare the L. A. Times treat my students as such?

Furthermore, I consider myself an effective teacher, though that in no way limits me to remain stagnant. I am constantly learning, and strengthening my craft. I enjoy teaching my students to become life long learners by example. Perhaps, the L. A. Times value-added measure of effective performance needs to be recalculated to address student’s real learning.

The Times gave LAUSD elementary school teachers rated in this database the opportunity to preview their value-added evaluations and publicly respond. Some issues raised by teachers may be addressed in the FAQ. Teachers who have not commented may do so by contacting The Times.