Citing poor performance, the District of Columbia Public Schools recently handed out pink-slips to over 200 employees and another 700 were given probation notices. Less than a year ago the schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee, broomed 400 employees citing budget woes. Roughly half of the first group of layoffs came from the teaching ranks and the most recent firings gave 165 teachers the boot for poor performance. An additional group was terminated because of teacher certification problems.

In a statement announcing this round of layoffs, the school system affirmed, “Every child in a District of Columbia public school has a right to a highly effective teacher … that is our commitment.”

Washington, D.C. public schools have a troubled history that includes poor student performance on standardized tests, high dropout rates and continuing fiscal woes. Rhee, who was appointed to her post in 2007, has made reversing this dismal past her top priority. Under her baton, a new teacher and staff evaluation program was recently introduced. This new program – aptly named IMPACT – bases part of its teacher evaluation on five observations conducted during the school year, however 50% is based on students’ scores on the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System. Non-teaching staff is rated on specific job performance.

According to the president of the Washington Teacher’s Union, the new evaluation system is a radical departure from ones used in most school systems. He calls the program “flawed” with “many loop holes” and is a “subjective way to fire teachers, many of whom were not evaluated fairly.” According to a union-commissioned survey, roughly 80% of the membership stated they were confused by parts of the evaluation method. In contesting the firings, the union states that the evaluation system should have been first introduced as a one-year pilot program to access problems and judge its overall effectiveness.

Randi Weingarten, the high-profile national president of the American Federation of Teachers, has joined in support of the D.C. teachers union. In a statement Weingarten took Chancellor Rhee to task for appearing to “hire and fire” her way to better schools.

With D.C. schools slated to begin classes on August 23, there has been concern that the recent firings could have a negative impact. However, according to a public school spokesperson, there is a pool of teachers who already have been screened and are available for hires. The schools will begin teacher orientation in two weeks.