Commissioner Tracy addresses SLC
‘Follow The Child’ initiative explained, NCLB reviewed 

It’s time for teachers to declare that they are professional teachers, according to Commissioner of Education Lyonel Tracy. Speaking at the NEA–NH Summer Learning Conference, he declared, “You happen to be employed by a school district, but they do not own you, and they should not be trying to mold you into what they want you to be.”

Tracy quickly followed that by saying, “We are not asking you to secede from your employer. You can do this by thinking of your students as your clients, just as any lawyer or doctor would do in their firm.”

The concept of professional teachers, with clients whose individual progress they monitor closely, is central to the commissioner’s “Follow The Child” initiative.
“Follow The Child” is based on the research of Russ Quaglia and the Institute for Student Aspirations.  Its goal is to tailor delivery of education to each child’s individual needs. The program starts with a survey of eight factors affecting students’ ability to perform academically. Last year, it was introduced in several school districts. This fall, the surveys will be available for 80,000 middle and high school students in New Hampshire. In addition to designating “Follow The Child School Districts,” on a voluntary basis, the NH DOE will offer training for teachers who wish to be designated “Follow The Child Teachers.”

“Follow The Child” will exceed requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, Tracy asserted, and will make compliance easier. This will be in part because multiple assessments will be recorded, so there will be less reliance on a single test. Currently the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) is used for NCLB compliance.
Commissioner Tracy also talked about the collaboration between the NH DOE and NEA–New Hampshire. Last fall, he explained, when there was a question about whether the US Department of Education would recognize the “highly qualified” status of a large group of New Hampshire teachers, it was because the department and the association worked together that a successful and speedy resolution was achieved. He recalled that a letter to affected teachers, which he and NEA–NH President Karen McDonough signed, helped to avoid panic while issues were resolved. He also noted that he has appointed NEA–NH Coordinator of Public Education and School Support to the Commissioner’s Advisory Council.