(Wall Street Journal) — A state court on Thursday ordered New York City to release data that ranks thousands of school teachers based on student test scores, saying the public interest in disclosure overrides privacy concerns. In a blow to the teachers union, the court said the teachers’ names did not fall within six exemptions that protect personal privacy under public-records law. ”The reports concern information of a type that is of compelling interest to the public, namely, the proficiency of public employees in the performance of their job duties,” the appellate court panel wrote. Parents can’t peek at the teachers ranked as superstars or laggards just yet: The union, the United Federation of Teachers, said it would try to appeal the ruling. A Department of Education spokeswoman said the city would wait to release the data until the court makes a decision on whether to allow an appeal.
