CT News Junkie published an opinion piece written by Quinnipiac junior Jessica Joline about the merits of the Connecticut Senate Bill 24, which is currently being debated in the state senate.
Until recently, SB 24 set up a new teacher evaluation system, including comprehensive tenure reform. This new evaluation system is a cornerstone of the education agenda being proposed and pushed forward by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
On March 27, the legislature’s education committee approved a watered-down version of the education reform plan that removes the most controversial parts pertaining to teachers.
Joline, a student in the master of arts in teaching program and the public relations director for the Quinnipiac University chapter of Students For Education Reform, wrote in her piece, “A Future Teacher for Education Reform,” that the proposals laid out in the original version of SB 24 “gave [her] hope as a future teacher.” She wrote that she was excited, rather than deterred or intimidated, at the prospect of the connection being made in the bill between fair evaluations and tenure for teachers.
“When I am teaching I want to know that I am doing a good job and that my students are getting a good education. …How can I do this if I am not being evaluated?” Joline wrote.
She points out in the opinion piece that the evaluation process would not only motivate teachers to perform to full capacity, but also might attract more potential teachers to the profession.
Joline expresses disappointment at the significantly altered version of SB 24, saying that it lets down the children of Connecticut and does not treat the issue of education reform with the urgency it deserves.
She said that she is motivated to become a teacher after graduating from Quinnipiac because she wants to make a difference in the lives of young children, encourage them to set their goals high, and convince them that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. Joline is an advocate for education reform because she believes that all students deserve “the best education possible.”
