Implementing effective teacher evaluations may not be rocket science, after all, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation study reveals — but it sure won’t be cheap.

It turns out that the old way, of in-class observations, is actually quite good, when done up to six times per year by certified evaluators and paired with other measures. Full story at the L.A. Times.

One of my sources on Hawaii’s Great Teachers, Great Leaders Task Force says that at least one member believes Hawaii’s Professional Evaluation Program for Teachers (PEP-T), which involves in-class observation, is actually quite good — it’s just time-consuming. And this evaluation is done only once every five years.

Instead of conducting hour-long interviews with every member of the faculty regarding a teacher under evaluation, evaluators often resorted to requesting those faculty members’ comments in writing. You can imagine how helpful that was, given teachers’ and principals’ busy schedules and full plates.

If the state is serious about meaningful teacher evaluations, the Department of Education is going to have to come to terms with the fact that it won’t be quick or cheap. We need to compensate evaluators for their time.

It’s the least we can do to ensure our keiki are getting the best education possible.