NO MORE VAM for teachers in Citrus County Schools

I was proud today, Tuesday, June 27th, 2017 during our School Board meeting to ask our board for support in removing VAM (Value added Model) from the teachers’ evaluation process in Citrus County.  VAM was put into law under SB736 in 2011 by the then Florida Legislature and tied teachers’ pay to students’ grades.  While we may not have desired everything in the controversial recent HB 7069 law that Gov. Scott signed. One part of HB 7069 was it made VAM optional.

I have opposed VAM and the use to students’ grade being tied to teachers’ salaries, bonuses and steps from the beginning.  I was pleased at today’s school board meeting to ask my fellow board members to support the immediate process to remove VAM from Citrus County School Board policy.  There was unanimous support of the entire board.

This will not be an overnight process as policy revisions never are, but the change has now begun.  Superintendent Sandra “Sam” Himmel shared during the meeting that our Research and Accountability department would be developing and presenting at an upcoming meeting alternative replacements to VAM for teacher evaluations.

This I believe is a small, but good step in the correct direction.  Many more steps are still needed.

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