All Massachusetts school districts will have to adopt new evaluation systems based on a state framework that was approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on June 28. The new system will be phased in over three years, beginning with Level 4 schools--those designated "underperforming" by the state--in the 2011-12 school year. "This framework incorporates many Massachusetts Teacher Association (MTA) recommendations and, if properly implemented, will lead to better evaluations and improved teaching, learning and leadership in our schools," said MTA President Paul Toner. "School committees and local associations will have to work out the details of the new systems in bargaining to make sure they are workable, fair, and effective. The MTA will provide guidance and support during this process." Until the new system is phased in, districts will continue operating under the existing state framework, which establishes principles of effective teaching and administration and specifies the minimum number of times teachers must be evaluated. Beyond that, most details are left to collective bargaining.