Charleston LWV takes on pay-for-test-scores Tuesday

Charleston has a long, storied history in public education; the first attempt at public education in the state -- funded by local businessmen, naturally, rather than state appropriations -- occurred there and offered instruction to both black and white pupils. Then this war came along and...

But I digress: Word comes from Charleston today that the local League of Women Voters is taking the bull by the horns and asking tough questions about the Haley-Zais plan to pay teachers according to their students' test scores. It sounds like a great place for Charleston County's teachers to spend their Tuesday evening, hearing what state leaders are proposing to do to them, and being heard in return.

Details:

A forum about measuring teacher performance and linking pay to performance will be presented Tuesday by the Charleston League of Women Voters.

The panel discussion, 'Getting the Best Teachers in our Classrooms: A Conversation on Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness' will be 6-8 p.m. at North Charleston City Hall.

Panel members are Dr. Janice Poda, former South Carolina education deputy superintendent and now strategic initiative director for Education Workforce at the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Fran Welch, dean of the College of Charleston's School of Education, Health and Human Performance; Judy Hammett, executive director of Leadership Development with the Berkeley County School District; and Lucy Beckham, principal of Wando High School and the 2010 MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals' National Secondary Principal of the Year.

The forum and reception are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be offered from 5:30 to 6 p.m. in the Buist Room. For more information, call 766-5416.