Norwalk Will Be a Pilot for Teacher-Grading System

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk teachers and principals will be among the first in Connecticut to face the new evaluation system approved by the state Legislature this year. 

Norwalk schools and several other districts will be a pilot district for the program next school year. Teachers and principals will be evaluated based on a new set of standards developed by a state education panel. The program will begin in all schools in the 2013-2014 school year. 

“The selection of these pilot districts is another step forward in our effort to fix what’s broken in our public schools,” said Gov. Dannel Malloy, who proposed the education- reform package.

“The fact is that many of our state’s schools and most of our teachers are doing a tremendous job in preparing our students for the challenges they will face as adults," Malloy added. "But without a fair and reliable evaluation system, teachers and administrators are left with no clear indicators of where they are succeeding and where they should improve.

Nine other districts and groups of districts will join Norwalk in the pilot program. The districts chosen represent a range of urban, rural and suburban districts, the state Department of Education said in a news release. 

“This high level of interest clearly demonstrates that school districts are ready to contribute to the construction of a meaningful evaluation and support system,” said . 

The other districts selected are:

• Bethany, Orange, and Woodbridge
• Branford
• Bridgeport
• Capitol Region Education Council (CREC)
• Columbia, Eastford, Franklin, and Sterling
• Litchfield and Region 6
• Waterford
• Windham
• Windsor

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