A New Mexico judge has temporarily barred schools from using the state’s controversial test-based teacher evaluations to make personnel decisions.

Judge David K. Thomson of Santa Fe’s district court granted the preliminary injunction on Dec. 3 because, he said, the evaluation system does not appear to be objective and uniform, as required by law.

The injunction will remain in place until Thomson can hear and decide the full case brought by the American Federation of Teachers, which claims the evaluation system is arbitrary and unfair and should be scrapped.

AFT President Randi Weingarten praised the judge’s decision, saying it “will resonate through communities across America.”

“Judge Thomson recognized that New Mexico’s teacher evaluation system is deeply flawed and deprives students of the high-quality educators they deserve while also hurting and demoralizing teachers — the very people we rely on to help students,” Weingarten said.

While the state may continue to issue ratings to teachers under the current system, the injunction bars it from attaching any consequences to those evaluations. 

In New Mexico, up to 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation is based on test scores.

The Washington Post, Dec. 3