Contribution

ANN ARBOR (MICH.)-,—Deborah Ball, dean of the School of Education at the University of Michigan, will help chair an open public meeting of the Governor’s Council on Educator Effectiveness on Feb. 27 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The meeting will be held 9 a.m.-noon in Room 215 of the Eberhard Building, 301 Fulton St. W., at Grand Valley State University.

The council, created by Public Act No. 102 of 2011, is a two-year temporary agency charged with preparing a report that will recommend:

–A student growth and assessment tool
–A state evaluation tool for teachers
–A state evaluation tool for school administrators
–Changes to the requirements for a professional education teaching certificate
–A process for evaluating and approving local evaluation tools for teachers and administrators

The council launched its work at a public meeting in Lansing on Dec. 7, 2011, and has met regularly to engage with experts in examining other educator evaluation systems and to discuss technical aspects of the tools. That work will continue at the meeting in Grand Rapids. The public will be invited to ask questions or offer brief comments from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

The council has five voting members, three of whom were appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder, and one each by Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and Speaker of the House Jase Bolger. Snyder appointed Ball as council chair, along with Mark Reckase from Michigan State University’s College of Education and Nick Sheltrown from National Heritage Academics in Grand Rapids. Richardville appointed David Vensel, a principal from Jefferson High School in Monroe, and Bolger appointed Jennifer Hammond, a principal from Grand Blanc High School. Joseph Martineau serves on the Council without vote and is the designee of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.