CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) seeks public comment on revised Chapter 29 Rules: Evaluation Systems for District and School Leaders and Teachers. The rules are being revised following passage of HEA0061 during the 2019 legislative session, which requires the implementation and administration of a comprehensive teacher evaluation system. The new statutes went into effect on July 1, 2019. Since going into effect, the WDE has engaged stakeholders from across the state to develop draft rule changes.
The rules will establish general criteria for school district teacher performance evaluation systems that provide school districts flexibility in designing teacher evaluations to improve classroom instruction. Under the proposed rules, the SBE will approve evaluation systems for leaders in the school district, and teachers who provide direct instruction to students. Approval of evaluation systems for other certified personnel, including nurses or instructional facilitators, will no longer be required. More information can be found in the Statement of Reasons.
At the September 20 meeting in Laramie, the SBE voted to withdraw proposed Chapter 29 rules and promulgate amended rules adding language that clarifies that school districts’ locally designed leader evaluation system must align to a majority of the benchmarks within professional Standard One of the state-defined system. The standard encompasses clear and consistent focus on maximizing the learning and growth of all students.
The public comment period for Chapter 29 rules will close at 11:59 p.m. on December 6, 2019. Comments may be submitted online or mailed to:
Laurel Ballard
Supervisor – Student/Teacher Resource Team
Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St. Suite E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
All public comments will be recorded verbatim, including the submitter’s name and city of residence, on the Secretary of State website as part of the rules promulgation process. When commenting, specify which section of the rule the comment concerns.
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Media contact:
Michelle Panos, Communications Director
307-777-2053
michelle.panos1@wyo.gov
