On another post Anonymous wrote:
new topic- even esteemed Harlem Village charter admits-- if we go by scores, you
wont keep the good and get rid of bad
teachers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/want-to-ruin-teaching-give-ratings.html?_r=0
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5 comments:
This is a MUST READ!
From the New York Times OP-ED article:
This type of system shows a profound lack of understanding of leadership. Principals need to create a culture of trust, teamwork and candid feedback that is essential to running an excellent school. Leadership is about hiring great people and empowering them, and requires a delicate balance of evaluation and encouragement. At Harlem Village Academies we give teachers an enormous amount of freedom and respect. As one of our seventh-grade reading teachers told me: “It’s exhilarating to be trusted. It makes me feel like I can be the kind of teacher I had always dreamed about becoming: funny, interesting, effective and energetic.”
Many statements of the type in this article have been posted here; but, if central office doesn't check, they will remain clueless.
It's not the principals that are wanting to change the teacher evaluation process. It's another Linda Lane regime bright idea.
If principals were given the autonomy to create a culture of trust without the constant watchfulness control, and interference of the upper echelon, things might just get better. The problem is too many that are far removed from the schools and classrooms throwing around useless rhetoric, forcing the latest ideas for equity, and casting judgement on those most directly involved when central office ideas don't work like they expected. Those in the trenches are then told - you must not have implemented it as we intended, etc.
10/16- 5:35-- exactly right! No principals didnt want to go this way--why would these experienced professionals want inexperienced kool-aid drinkers brought in to be praised for doing a lousy job! If the PELAS were so great-- parents, teachers and students would be singing their praises-- I know- we can all find exceptions to every rule-- but I havent heard anyone saying these newbs are doing half that jobs that our esteemed retired principals did-- we can all name the good ones... and we all know what is going on in PPS today.
5:31 I couldn't agree with you more. I worked for a seasoned veteran principal and then one year for a PELA replacement. It was a year of confusion. Order, clear expectations, assistance to teachers, resource abundance, trust and loyalty all went right out the window. I'm glad to have moved on and now I work for another old time principal. It's good to know that the person in charge is knowledgeable and supports teachers and students by having a clear process for getting the job done.
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