Ed. Commissioner Bret Schundler has just issued a call for teacher volunteers for the “Educational Effectiveness Evaluation Committee,” a new advisory group engendered by NJ’s Race To The Top application. The mandate of the committee, according to The Record, is “try to resolve the contentious issue of how to use pupil performance to measure teachers and school leaders.” Its final composition will comprise members nominated by NJEA, NJ School Boards Association, NJ Principals and Supervisors Association, charter school operators, education professors, testing experts, etc. All appointments have to be approved by Gov. Christie.

Of course, it’s one thing to figure out how to use pupil performance to measure teachers and school leaders. It’s another thing entirely to agree that pupil performance should be used to measure teachers and school leaders. Will the committee be able to get that far? Our fingers are crossed.