Florida’s largest teachers’ union is appealing a federal judge’s ruling upholding the state’s teacher evaluation system. The Florida Education Association will ask yet another judge to find the system unconstitutional.
This week’s filing is the latest in an ongoing challenge by the teachers’ union and other plaintiffs. They’re suing to block the 3-year-old system that makes teacher evaluations dependent on student performance. The teachers take issue with data aggregation that causes them to be judged based on students whom they don’t personally teach.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker sided with the state and school districts. In his ruling, Walker questioned the fairness of the system but nonetheless concluded the state’s policies furthered a “legitimate interest in increasing student learning growth.”
The Florida Education Association’s appeal will be filed with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal in Atlanta.
