SB42 – Suspending Teacher Evaluations for this year

Senate Bill 42 is an pandemic related bill that has already passed the Senate unanimously and is getting a hearing today in the House Education Committee, which means it could get a vote in the House tomorrow. What it does is suspend the educator evaluation system for the 2020-2021 school year and replaces it with an observation and feedback cycle that provides educators with coaching support related to hybrid and virtual learning practices. I have a brother who is a teacher in Maryland, and his life has been hell since March of last year, so anything that can help our teachers, lessen their burdens, is a must pass thing.

Senate Bill 42 Sponsors	Yes Votes	No Votes
Townsend, Sturgeon, Sokola, Lockman, Bonini, Brown, Ennis, Gay, Hansen, Lopez, Mantzavinos, S.McBride, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Pinkney, Poore, Walsh	Senate Passed 21-0. Bonini, Brown, Ennis, Gay, Hansen, Hocker, Lawson, Lockman, Lopez, Mantzavinos, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, S.McBride, Sokoka, Sturgeon, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson	None
K.Williams, Chukwuocha, Schwartzkopf, Longhurst, Mitchell, Bush, Moore, Matthews, Ramone, Heffernan, Baumbach, Bennett, Brady, Briggs King, Dorsey Walker, Griffith, K.Johnson, Lambert, Morrison, Osienski, Spiegelman, Yearick
Current Status: House Education Committee 1/22/21

The Delaware State Education Association supports the measure, as do legislators in both parties.

“Our educators have been working around the clock to learn new ways to keep their students continue learning no matter the environment that they are learning in,” DSEA President Stephanie Ingram said in a statement. “They are teaching students who are at home while simultaneously teaching cohorts of students in their classrooms. And, they are learning new technologies and programs to better reach their students during these unique educational circumstances.

“Educators are in survival mode. They need support and meaningful feedback. What they don’t need is to have their permanent record adversely effected by these temporary and challenging circumstances. Senate Bill 42 does just that by pausing these official evaluations and making them supportive and beneficial to the educators and the students.”