General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUnder education reform, school principals swamped by teacher evaluations
Sharon McNary believes in having tough teacher evaluations.
But these days, the Memphis principal finds herself rushing to cram in what amounts to 20 times the number of observations previously required for veteran teachers including those she knows are excellent sometimes to the detriment of her other duties.
I dont think theres a principal that would say they dont agree we dont need a more rigorous evaluation system, says Ms. McNary, who is president of the Tennessee Principals Association as well as principal at Richland Elementary. But now it seems that weve gone to [the opposite] extreme.
In New York, which is also beginning to implement a new teacher evaluation system this year, many principals are even less constrained in their opinion.
There is no evidence that any of this works, says Carol Burris, a Long Island principal who co-authored an open letter of concern with more than 1,200 other principals in the state. Our worry is that over time these practices are going to hurt kids and destroy the positive culture of our schools.
more . . .http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2012/0126/Under-education-reform-school-principals-swamped-by-teacher-evaluations
MichiganVote
(21,086 posts)to an online program and log in and check what the teacher is/is not doing --X--as many as 30 classrooms over and over again. And who will actually read any of this? Nobody that's who.
What a ridiculous waste of time and hopefully talent. The know nothing's are taking ALL of the joy out of the school experience for kids and schools. Its just pathetic.
And of course in Fascist Michigan the Republicans have GIVEN away a boatload of cash to the corporations so there are no staff to manage discipline, to build relationships with parents or for the administrators to actually act in the role of an instructional leader.
I blame them all. I blame our stupid state, a clueless President and of course the dunce Duncan. So frustrating. When is the public going to get a real picture of what they are being robbed of?
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)I hate that damn iPad.
My principal has no time to do anything but go from room to room, with that stupid iPad. She hates it and so does everyone else.
MichiganVote
(21,086 posts)This is nothing but more bullshit. WHERE is the accountability for the private or charter schools?
YvonneCa
(10,117 posts)...who has experienced this stuff:
Did you, as an educator, ever have to create data about your students' parents/family? I once had an administrator give me and other teachers at my school a questionnaire about parental habits, related to their child's school activities.
It seemed to cross a privacy line to me, especially if such data was collected on ALL students by ALL teachers at my school. I was worried about what kind of database the info was intended to be a part of.
MichiganVote
(21,086 posts)the public has no responsibility to expose their "parental habits" unless or until they are a part of a SPED eval and even then, its wise to be respectful and not cross the line.
YvonneCa
(10,117 posts)...activity crossed that line for me. It was asking me, as a teacher, to 'document' anedotal and subjective observances about my students' families. I could see that being a problem when done on a large scale.
MichiganVote
(21,086 posts)Nevernose
(13,081 posts)Their home life is just that -- theirs, and we have no control over it. I'm going to teach them all no matter what their homes are like, so, unless it's information that directly helps me in the classroom, "data" about their homes is largely irrelevant.
YvonneCa
(10,117 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)They're collecting data on everything. Pretty soon we'll be recording the students' bathroom habits.
YvonneCa
(10,117 posts)...my district. I still question the reason for it.