Commissioner of Education Michael Williams has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan seeking an extension of the state’s waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In the letter, he also notified Secretary Duncan that the state would be adding an additional year to the pilot program for the new teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.
On Sept. 30, 2013, Texas was approved for the federal waiver from specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through the 2013-2014 school year contingent upon implementation of the new teacher and principal evaluation system. In May, as part of the terms of the state’s conditional waiver, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) updates to the state’s plan for implementing the new teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.
The evaluation systems will be piloted in school districts and charters beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. Commissioner Williams has decided to extend the pilot operation of the two systems for an additional year to allow time for system refinement.