Thompson: I’m worried about evaluation bureaucracy.

From a press release from Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign:

“We’ve had additional time to review yesterday’s announcement by Commissioner John King with regard to teacher evaluations. As I said yesterday, in the context of where the Mayor started – with a desire to autocratically fire teachers at will – this is a victory for everyone who knows that our teachers need real support and professional development in order to succeed. “However, after reviewing the agreement, I am concerned that it is simply unworkable in it’s complexity and bureaucracy. We started with an eight-page contract between the teachers and the city. During the negotiations that broke down over the Mayor’s inflexibility, the teachers proposed a 20-page agreement. Now, the Commissioner is imposing a 241-page plan, littered with confusing rules and regulations that are certain to create confusion instead of clarity. I have serious concerns about whether this plan is workable, especially given the Administration’s history of finger-pointing and accusation, instead of collaboration and cooperation.”

Yesterday, Thompson was the first candidate to weigh in on the evaluation plan, and his take was entirely favorable.