Dive Brief:

• Now that attendance is now factored into the overall evaluation of New Mexico teachers, the state has seen some massive jumps in the number of teachers showing up consistently. 
• Almost 32% of educators had "exemplary attendance" (less than two days missed) and Albuquerque public schools (the state's largest school district) saw teacher sick days fall by 15%. All this extra face time means students got an additional 18,000 school hours taught by a licensed teacher, rather than a substitute,
• While state education officials view the evaluation factor as way to motivate teachers, the state's teachers' union says its unfair as it forces teachers to show up even when they are sick. 

Dive Insight:

Critics of the attendance evaluation say there have been some clerical errors where educators on sick leave or family leave have actually faced penalties -- something that just shouldn't happen and is a hassle to fix. While these are unusual situations, much of the thoughts on this practice boil down to trust. If you trust educators are appropriately using sick days, then it shouldn't be a factor into evaluations. If there is a lack of trust, factoring in attendence ensures that teachers not only don't fudge sick days but will probably also show up when they're actually sick. In terms of the culture one wants to build, this has very different implications.