Retiring teachers will be able to focus on classroom education rather than burdensome evaluations under a new law passed by state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, waiving the evaluation process for high-quality teachers in their final year.

     “I was an educator in our community for years, and I can tell you that evaluations can be a useful tool in the education of new teachers, and can help experienced teachers add to their skillsets, but they are an unnecessary burden on our high-quality teachers who are leaving the classroom,” said Scherer. “I want these skilled teachers to spend their final year mentoring others and using their years of experience to benefit one last class of students, not focused on bureaucratic oversight.”

     Scherer’s House Bill 1351 allows retiring teachers to waive an annual evaluation requirement if they are set to retire in the following year. A teacher who received poor ratings would not be able to waive the requirement. In addition, school districts may require retiring teachers complete an evaluation as long as they are notified 14 days before it is due to take place.

     The bill was passed with bipartisan support and is now law.

     “Focusing our energy on the core missions of our institutions has been one the guiding tenets of my legislative agenda since I first took office,” said Scherer. “This is just the latest of those efforts. I’m always excited to think and hear about innovative solutions to make our government more efficient for the people we serve.”