As per the U.S. Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
There is no better day than today, then, to honor Sheri Lederman – the Long Island, New York teacher who by all accounts other than her 1 out of 20 VAM score is a terrific 4th grade and now 18 year veteran teacher, and who along with her attorney husband, Bruce Lederman, is suing the state of New York to challenge the state’s teacher evaluation system…and mainly it’s value-added component (see prior posts about Sheri’s case here, here and here). I’m serving as one of the expert witnesses, also, on this case.
Anyhow, Al Jazeera America just released a fabulous 3:41 video about Sheri, her story, and VAMs in general. Columbia Professor Aaron Pallas is featured speaking on Sheri’s behalf, and a study of mine is featured at marker 2:41 (i.e., the national map illustrating what’s happening across the nation; see also “Putting growth and value-added models on the map: A national overview.”
Do give this a watch. It’s well worth honoring and respecting Sheri’s achievements, thus far, and especially today.
