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State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. today said he has approved the Buffalo City School District teacher and principal evaluation plan for School Improvement Grant (SIG) schools for the 2011-2012 school year. Approval of the teacher evaluation plan, which the district negotiated with the Buffalo Teachers Federation, was announced earlier today by the Federation.

"Now that the plan is signed by the district and the unions, SIG funding will be restored to the Buffalo School District," Commissioner King said. "The money will be welcome, of course. Buffalo’s SIG schools need all the resources they can get to help their students succeed. But it’s not just about funding. Teacher evaluations build better performance; they help teachers improve their practice, which in turn will help students improve their performance. Our goal is to ensure every student graduates from high school ready for college and careers. That’s not happening in Buffalo right now. Students in SIG schools have been denied a good education for far too long. But meaningful teacher evaluations and the improvements funded with SIG money should help start to turn that around.

"It’s been a long struggle, but thanks to the perseverance of the District, the unions and their leaders, today is a victory for every student in one of the six affected SIG schools. This is the first step toward a brighter tomorrow for the students and the city."