By Jeff Amy/The Associated Press
JACKSON — Mississippi lawmakers are learning about teacher evaluations, possibly as preparation for basing educators’ pay on their performance. But many lawmakers may not realize the state Department of Education is in the midst of an intensive effort to create a statewide evaluation system.
Andy Baxter of the Southern Regional Education Board made a presentation Tuesday to members of the House Education and Appropriations committees on general principles of how an evaluation system should work, but only briefly touched on Mississippi’s plans.
House Education Chairman John Moore, a Brandon Republican, agreed that many lawmakers don’t know about those plans.
The state is still recruiting districts to pilot the teacher evaluation system this school year. Officials plan to examine results and do another year of field testing before a statewide rollout in 2014.