How Do We Evaluate Teachers Without Discouraging Them?

The depth of discouragement among educators in the trenches is at an all-time high and cannot be overstated, says education historian Diane Ravitch. On this backdrop, the controversial practice of "value-added" teacher ratings is gaining popularity among education reformers, while further offending and demoralizing teachers. How do we balance the need to hold teachers accountable with the need to support and retain them? Are value-added ratings the solution?
Jason Song covers education for the Los Angeles Times. Joy Resmovits is an education columnist at the Huffington Post. A former education researcher and Capitol Hill education aide, Alexander Russo is the author of a recent book about a dramatic school turnaround effort in Los Angeles (Stray Dogs, Saints, and Saviors). Christina Samuels writes for Education Week and Liz Willen is a senior editor at the Hechinger Report.