Value added Louisiana?

Gov. Bobby Jindal signed HB 1033 into law yesterday. That legislation establishes a value added model in the state, tying student test scores with teacher evaluations.


This isn’t the first time that those with decision making power over education have thought about this. There have long been discussions to linking student achievement with teacher salaries as a way to compensate the teachers that have done well and to identify the ones who are not effective.


At its fundamental core—tracking student and teacher success—education gurus agree it’s a good idea. How to execute that idea, however, has always been a point of contention between those in the classroom and those in governing rooms.


But Jackie Lansdale, president of the Caddo Federation of Teachers and Support Personnel, thinks this plan isn’t the best execution.


“It’s not really value added. Value added is when you provide incentives. This is punitive.”
For teachers, Lansdale said, there is a lack of incentives with the law. Teachers being allowed to keep their jobs is not an incentive and creates a problem.


“This is the stick without the carrot. You’re going to base my evaluation on that? There are some schools that they will refuse to go to if they value their career."


Specifically Lansdale said schools with large numbers of low socio-economic children. It’s easier to teach at a school where children are better prepared and therefore will have increased test scores. But schools with a high poverty rate have student who are more difficult to teach. Why? Challenges such as low parental involvement and few resources.


Cedric Choyce, president of the Caddo Association of Educators, agrees. 

"Basically what you have here now is people trying to move from school not performing well to those that are," he said adding that Louisiana will now become a training ground for Texas. 

Choyce, who teaches at Booker T. Washington in Shreveport, also brought up another point. What about teachers who teach electives.

"What are you going to do to measure my effectiveness," he said. "You have all these students that are from different backgrounds how are you going to do that."

So what' the solution?


“Teachers sent (Buddy) Roemer home, it’s time for teachers to send Jindal home,” Lansdale said.

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