By Elisabeth Yucis
In the dozen or so years since TEACHNJ and AchieveNJ reshaped educator evaluation in New Jersey, there has not been a close examination of how the existing systems could be reimagined to benefit educators and the students they serve. The next revision of the AchieveNJ regulations is fast approaching, and educators throughout the state are demanding change. As a result, we are finally seeing meaningful progress, particularly regarding the value of genuine collaboration in the evaluation process.
It has been a tremendous privilege to be part of this work. I was appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy to serve on the Educator Evaluation Task Force last summer, and now I serve on the implementation workgroup led by the New Jersey Department of Education.
To support the external work, I have come to rely on the NJEA Certification, Evaluation, and Tenure Committee as well as an internal NJEA member and staff working group. I recently wrapped up an Evaluation Listening Tour. I visited several counties and conducted stakeholder interviews with members. These interviews reaffirmed my belief that we can build better systems of evaluation when we listen, share perspectives and collaborate to find solutions.
As of press time, the NJDOE workgroup was focused on creating new guidance documents and reshaping key features of evaluation to be rolled out prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year. Because collaboration has been such a driving force in our own conversations, we hope to infuse a reimagined system with opportunities for district-level collaboration.
There is a tremendous amount of flexibility built into AchieveNJ regulations and superintendents have significant power to shape how evaluation looks locally. Unfortunately, decisions are too often made unilaterally at the administrative level, imposing cumbersome systems on teachers without asking for their input. Our work highlighting the inherent flexibilities in AchieveNJ will provide clarity and transparency. We hope it will set the stage for local conversations and shared decision-making.
What local associations can do
To support members in this work, here are three things association leaders can do to advocate for collaborative decision-making as districts reimagine evaluation policies and practices.
Committees
School Improvement Panels (ScIPs) are required by law in every school building. Among their responsibilities is to use building-level evaluation data to identify professional learning opportunities for staff. District Evaluation Advisory Committees (DEACs) are no longer required but still convene in many districts to provide opportunities for districtwide collaboration and feedback. Every local association leader should examine what committees exist in their districts and prioritize adding association member voices to the work of these committees.
Culture
It is challenging for members to have conversations with colleagues about their evaluations, especially when an observation doesn’t go well. Local association leaders should normalize conversations about evaluations between association reps (AR) and the members they represent. Be sure ARs are well-equipped to assist members, especially nontenured staff. When issues arise, local leaders should use AR structures to facilitate two-way communication that can help resolve problems quickly.
Check-Ins
Insist on check-ins regarding policy changes. Are changes in evaluation practices working how they were intended to work? Because superintendents have decision-making power when it comes to establishing the district’s evaluation policies and procedures and because many aspects of evaluation are nonnegotiable, decisions are often made without the input of principals, supervisors and teachers. Local association leaders should work to ensure communication among all stakeholders throughout the process of change.
Elisabeth Yucis is an associate director in the NJEA Professional Development and Instructional Issues Division. She can be reached at eyucis@njea.org.