This is good news:

A Manhattan judge ruled Monday that the city may release performance rankings of thousands of teachers to the public, denying a request by the teachers union to keep the teachers' names confidential.

…In her decision, the Manhattan judge, Cynthia S. Kern of State Supreme Court, wrote that the union had failed to prove that the city's decision to release the names was "arbitrary and capricious," the high bar for preventing their release under state disclosure laws.

"This information is of interest to parents, students, taxpayers and the public generally," Justice Kern wrote.

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Judge Rules New York City Can Disclose Names in Teacher Rankings; Union Plans to Appeal

By SHARON OTTERMAN

Published: January 10, 2011

www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/education/11data.html