As the state of Florida raises the bar for students in public schools, the Pasco School District is lowering it for teachers.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, district administrators will redefine the components of the rating system for teachers, which will soon be tied directly to teacher pay.
As part of the overhaul, the district says the definition of the "highly effective" rating will change so more teachers can qualify for it.
The Times reports that in the 2011-2012 school year, only 3.6 percent of teachers qualified for the "highly effective" rating, leaving some to complain that reaching the status was nearly impossible. Some 95 percent of teachers were evaluated as "effective."
The Pasco County School District has been working this summer to rework evaluation guidelines so teachers can be scored in the fairest way possible.
"We are making sure we have a fair and equitable way for them to demonstrate their skill," district negotiator Kathy Scalise told the Times, explaining that the administration wants evaluations to focus on teacher improvement and growth.
There are differing ideas on how evaluations should rate teachers. A team of teachers negotiating with the district about the evaluation overhaul says it will present its plan at a later meeting.
One teacher on the negotiation team, Land O'Lakes High's Pat Connolly, is asking the district if teachers can get the top rating if students grades improve.
No decision has been made about a final overhaul to the rating system.