S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  8192

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 11, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Education

AN  ACT in relation to the adoption of a statewide teacher and principal
  evaluation system

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  This  act  shall  be  known and may be cited as the "your
voice, our schools act".
  S 2. Notwithstanding any provisions of section 3012-c of the education
law to the contrary, the commissioner of education is hereby  authorized
and  directed, subject to the provisions of section 207 of the education
law, to adopt regulations of the commissioner and  guidelines  no  later
than  December  31,  2016,  to  implement a statewide annual teacher and
principal evaluation system in New York state pursuant to section 3012-d
of the education law after consulting with experts and practitioners  in
the  fields  of  education,  economics and psychometrics and taking into
consideration the parameters set forth in the letter from the chancellor
of the board of regents and acting commissioner dated December 31, 2014,
to the New York state director of state operations.
  S 3.   The commissioner of education  shall  establish  a  process  to
accept  public  comments  and  recommendations regarding the adoption of
regulations pursuant to section 3012-d of the education law and  consult
in  writing with the secretary of the United States department of educa-
tion on weights, measures  and  ranking  of  evaluation  categories  and
subcomponents  and  shall  release  the response from the secretary upon
receipt thereof but in any event prior to publication of the regulations
hereunder.
  S 4. The period to accept public comments  and  recommendations  shall
last  until  December  31,  2015 and the commissioner of education shall
ensure that a link for  such  public  comments  and  recommendations  is
available  on  the state education department website.  The commissioner

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10497-04-5
              

A. 8192                             2

of education shall conduct at least one public  forum  in  each  Regents
district during the public comment period.
  S 5. The commissioner of education shall report his or her findings of
the public comments and recommendations to the governor and the legisla-
ture no later than March 31, 2016.  Such report shall include the number
of  comments  received  and  an  executive summary that includes a broad
cross section of comments, and citizen input,  for  how  teacher  evalu-
ations should be implemented.
  S   6.   All  public  schools  shall  implement  the  commissioner  of
education's approved teacher and principal evaluation system by  January
1,  2019.  Any  school  that fails to implement such system by that date
shall not  be  eligible  to  receive  any  funds  appropriated  for  the
2019-2020 school year.
  S 7. This act shall take effect immediately.