Grading Teachers: Muskego Norway Schools Join Evaluation Consortium

The Muskego Norway School Board voted Monday night for the school district to join a group of Wisconsin school districts that will design a new teacher evaluation system.

The new system will be research-based and can be linked to compensation, according to Dr. Kelly Thompson, assistant superintendent for (MNSD).

Nearly 100,000 students and 3,000 teachers will be impacted by the Teachers Compensation Consortium (TCC) work, according to documents. Yet each school district has the ability to use the tool at their discretion, Thompson said.

We “will have the opportunity to learn alongside, have a voice in, participate with our information and input, and co-create so in a year our voice and our values are part of it,”  Thompson said.

At the same time, Thompson explained, “We’re not obligating ourselves.  We have autonomy to see what works for us…we wouldn’t have to pilot (the system) if we don’t want to.”

In the past, each district created their own system but collaboration saves on the duplication of staff time and resources, documents say, while sharing in best practices of neighboring districts. The MNSD will pay no more than $5,000 to participate in the TCC’s work, according to direction from board members.

The TCC will draw on teams of teachers, administrators, and advisory boards from each district for input and feedback, and will also support a Department of Instruction team that is working towards similar goals, according to the documents.

According to Thompson, participating districts include: Fox Point-Bayside, Franklin, Hamilton, Hartland Lakeside, Kettle Moraine, Muskego Norway, Norris, Oconomowoc Area, Pewaukee, Cudahy, Swallow, Stone Bank, South Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, West Allis, West Bend, and Whitefish Bay.