New York's 7 Million Dollar Teacher Observation Coaches

When Tennessee became the first state to implement a teacher evaluation system based on a Rube Goldberg designed observation rubric and invalid, unreliable, and unfair testing methodology, the State became a laughingstock.  

Now that same crackpot scheme has come to New York and most likely to a school near you, if your state or locality is accepting Race to the Top bribe money.

A clip from DNAinfo New York:

. . . .Across the city, the Department of Education has hired approximately 70 talent coaches like Barros — at a starting salary of $97,199, according to a job posting — to teach principals about the city's controversial new teacher evaluation system. The salaries are being paid using a federal Race to the Top grant, DOE officials said. 

Coaches like Barros — a former teacher and principal herself — visit two schools a day to provide professional development for principals and help hone their observational skills.“This is what I see Rex Ryan doing with the Jets," David Weiner, a deputy schools chancellor, said in a phone interview, noting the "granular level of information" they discuss when working with principals. “The talent coaches really are rock stars."  

The DOE first introduced talent coaches two years ago, starting with 20 schools and three talent coaches. There were 50 coaches at 300 schools last year, and the DOE took the program citywide this year, Weiner said. 

The talent coaches help ensure there’s consistency across the school system on how teachers are being graded, he said, noting that some of the high-poverty schools in the pilot saw “far more growth” in their teacher performance than others.. . 

It should be noted that Rex Ryan has never had a team in the Super Bowl, despite his promises last year.