Radioactive

The issue of using student test scores to evaluate teacher performance has become rather toxic.

It all seems rather silly to me. I understand that teachers should not be evaluated solely on student test results, but test that measure a student's learning progress are essential to evaluating how well teachers are performing, and whether they should keep their jobs. There are thousands of dedicated teachers in this country that are woefully underpaid for the innovative work they do to help their students learn. Likewise there are thousands of unimaginative and apathetic teachers who are concerned more with their next vacation, than they are with how well their students learn. Good teachers need to be paid for their trouble, and bad teachers need to be removed from the classrooms, and there's nothing wrong with using student test scores to help separate the good from the bad.