Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) announced today that if the state Department of Education and the teachers' union fail to come up with a deal on a teacher-evaluation system by Thursday, he will do it himself.

In an interview with The Capitol Pressroom radio show, Cuomo said he's "optimistic" the educators are going to reach a deal, but added that he is working on his own system, just in case.

The details of Cuomo's plan have not been released, although in the past he said that students' standardized-test scores should count for more when it comes to evaluating their teachers.

However, former Brentwood School Superintendent Michael Cohen says it's absurd.

"I don't believe that's an effective way to evaluate teachers," he says.

The federal government is threatening to withhold $700 million in funding if state officials fail to implement a new system soon. However, critics argue that it could cost some districts more to enact a system than they would see in extra aid.