The Colorado Department of Education has hired two educators to lead the state’s educator effectiveness work started by last year’s Senate Bill 191.
The first, Tom Elliott, will be executive director of educator effectiveness for the department. He will oversee implementation of the framework as it rolls out.
Elliott has more than 30 years experience as a teacher and administrator in rural and inner-city Colorado. Most recently he served as principal of Cowell Elementary School in Denver Public Schools.
Commissioner Robert Hammond also hired Toby King as the new senior consultant for educator evaluation and support.
King, who worked as a teacher and administrator in Florida, will provide technical assistance and training to districts when they begin implementing teacher performance evaluation systems.
The state evaluation system has not been created yet, but some districts in the state have begun working on their own.
The pair also will oversee state Council for Educator Effectiveness, convened by then-Gov. Bill Ritter before the passage of SB 191, which links teacher evaluations to student academic achievement.
The council has been given an extension and now plans to present its recommendations for the definition of “effective teachers” in April. The recommendations were originally due yesterday.
This summer, the Quality Teachers Commission — also under the purview of the state education department — will also make their recommendations on implementing an identifier system that links teachers and principals to student achievement data.
