More than 70 percent of public school parents reject a proposal to greatly increase the weight of a single state test score in evaluating teachers, according to a recent poll conducted by Hart Research for NYSUT. Here's our news release on the poll, and here are highlights of the results.

The statewide poll was conducted in January while NYSUT and SED were discussing teacher evaluation processes. It confirms New Yorkers favor accountability in the classroom, but they have serious doubts about an overemphasis on student testing. Its findings are in line with a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this week.

NYSUT's statewide media campaign continues online. The website[learnmore.nysut.org] provides plenty of evidence that schools all over the state are putting evaluation plans into motion.

Gov. Cuomo has indicated he plans to mandate a statewide evaluation system if he believes significant progress is not made by later in the month. To date, nearly 400 school districts report progress in developing a new evaluation program, with another 100 school districts having already negotiated an implementation plan for evaluations.

Meanwhile, Fred LeBrun of the Times Union newspaper in Albany wrote a perceptive commentary in which he laid out the governor's machinations on teacher evaluations and affirmed the union's position.