The West Virginia Board of Education made a rather unfortunate decision recently. Veteran teachers who have received five consecutive satisfactory evaluations now get to opt out of any future evaluations unless their principal decides otherwise. Though it's possible to read this policy change as a "focus in on new teachers," as Judy Hale of AFT-West Virginia called it, it's more likely a formal excuse to not worry too much about the older ones. The state was only requiring that they be evaluated every three years anyway.