At a packed legislative town hall this weekend at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Nicole McKenzie had a chance to say what the new principal and teacher evaluation system now moving through the state legislature means to her three children.

“I believe that my kids and all kids deserve to have the best teachers in their classrooms,” said McKenzie, who has a seventh and a tenth grader in Tacoma Public Schools, told the crowd.  “If we continue to allow teachers that are not performing at a high level to remain in our schools, we are doing a disservice to our kids.”

The loud applause that Mckenzie, a Stand organizer, and Becky Hester, a retired public school teacher, got after their testimony urging passage of the bill shows widespread support from parents and advocates for students and education.

The state House Education Committee voted 18-1 vote in favor of Senate Bill 5895 Friday, and the landmark reform now awaits a vote by the full House and the governor’s signature. While it isn’t as far-reaching a transformation as what our coalition proposed in January, the bill makes some truly ground-breaking changes.

Currently, public school teachers are rated either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In a pass-fail system like this one, nearly all teachers are given satisfactory ratings and they move on without any meaningful feedback that might help them improve. Under SB 5895, the new system would use four tiers to rate teachers and principals either unsatisfactory, basic, proficient or distinguished. 

Teacher and principal evaluations under SB 5895 will, for the first time, consider how students are doing in the classroom, measuring increased learning with testing and an assortment of other factors.  Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, these evaluations will be used in making assignment and lay-off policies. The bill also supports teachers and principals by aligning professional development resources to the strengths and weaknesses identified in the evaluation process.

The bill was the product of intense negotiations between Gov. Chris Gregoire, Rep. Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup) and Rep. Steve Litzow (R-Mercer Island), two advocates for the change, and Senate Education Committee chair Rosemary McAulliffe (D-Bellevue) and House Education Committee vice-chair Rep. Kristine Lytton (D-Anacortes).

The practical, bi-partisan effort that is championing the bill despite some staunch opposition has not gone unnoticed.  Over the weekend, the Seattle Times named Rep. Eric Pettigrew (d-Seattle) and Sen. Litzow as two of the Six Lawmakers Making a Difference in 2012 Session for their stalwart refusal to give up on this important legislation.