by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader
Evaluation of teachers is one of the hottest topics in the world of education. The conversation ranges from how much testing should count, to finding ways of incorporating it into the pay scale. Everyone knows that what we have is not working and there is pressure to develop a new process that will work in the 21st century. Ironically, the solution for many of these concerns could be hiding in plain sight.
I am on an advisory board for a fledgling charter school. One of the tasks I was asked to perform was to formulate an evaluation policy. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, it was quickly apparent this undertaking was going to be quite daunting. However, a one-minute Google search revealed a surprising result.
No need to reinvent the wheel
The new evaluation procedures for the state of Virginia consume 87 pages. It is a marvelous program with teacher, administrator, student and parent input. It covers virtually every contingency possible in the assessment of a teacher’s performance. When read in its entirety it is an airtight document that should meet the needs of every educator. It will give meaningful feedback that will assist teachers to improve. Fairness and consistency will not be issues. It will clearly delineate the poor and strong members of a faculty.
I shared the document with a former colleague who was also on the committee. After reading it she said:
“There’s an awful lot of good in this. I only wish my evaluations had been done like the ones outlined here. Even though I consistently received superior ratings, I can honestly say that I have never learned one thing from an evaluation that made me a better teacher. The only time I gained anything like that was from just talking and watching other instructors. I so wanted someone, especially at the start of my teaching career, to come into my room and help me become a better teacher. This could have done that.”
Yes, those 87 pages describe a wonderful method for one of the most important activities in education. Ironically, the individual lamenting the shortcomings of her evaluations worked in a Virginia school district for 28 years. The coherent and clearly defined procedures described in that state’s plan never translated into any evaluation that ever took place in her classroom.
Words and actions are not always the same
I spent 40 years working in the same district and concur with her comments. The problem, however, is not in the official evaluation program. The actual reason so many teachers feel they are denied any benefit from the process is the manner in which it is implemented. Despite all of the rhetoric about the importance of accurately assessing the performance of teachers, the implementation within the schools themselves does not indicate that it is a high priority. Principals and administrators do not devote the time or resources necessary to utilize the plan outlined on the Virginia website.
The wrong people are evaluating
In many school systems the primary responsibility for evaluation rests on the Assistant Principal that supervises the department. Often this is not the best choice. For most people in this position assessing teacher performance has to be low on their daily “to-do” list. The typical AP does not have the time or resources to solicit student, teacher and community input into the two dozen formal evaluations they have been assigned. In addition, this particular individual may be ill-prepared to assess that diverse set of teachers. In forty years of evaluations I was never observed by an assistant principal who had taught high school math. In some cases it was an individual who had never taught any high school classes. Such limitations do not automatically preclude someone from being an excellent observer. But we should be asking if administrators, most of whom are already overburdened, are the best choice for evaluating teachers?
A professional evaluation requires a professional evaluator
What school districts need to do is hire and train employees for the specific purpose of evaluation. Their full-time job is the assessment of teachers in schools throughout the system. Only teachers with an outstanding record of classroom success, a strong desire to utilize that skill to improve others and a willingness to devote their career to that task should be selected. The training program should be thorough and ongoing. The assessment of the assessors must be as strenuous as the evaluations they will eventually be conducting.
How would it work?
A team of these trained observers would conduct each teacher’s evaluation. One would have taught in the subject area. Another would be a “generalist” who will evaluate the individual in terms of their classroom skills. The lead evaluator would be responsible for acquiring input from the entire school community as described in those 87 pages. Techniques such as videotaping formal observations could be employed. This recording could be used both as a tool in the actual evaluation and as a learning device for the entire staff. The benefits to the faculty of a film library featuring a collection of excellent examples of classroom teaching would be immense. There is a reason why successful sport teams use such technology in a similar manner.
By having these professional evaluators work in multiple schools, the process would become more consistent throughout the district. It would also be far less personal. Being assessed by someone who works in the building and with whom one interacts on a regular basis does not always result in a comfortable relationship. Likewise, the possibility of having this process performed multiple times over a period of years by the same individual may not ensure the best outcomes. Additionally, there is a strong possibility that teachers would be more open and honest with someone whose only professional involvement is as an evaluator.
What about the details?
Notably absent in this conversation are any specifics about the actual evaluation. How often should they occur? How many observations must be made? What portion should be formal and what should be informal? What is the termination policy? These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered to make an evaluation effective. Actually they have all been addressed in great detail in those 87 pages.
Now it is up to school districts to realize the importance of this process and put in the appropriate time and commitment necessary for implementing teacher evaluations in an effective way.