14 of 81 Central Falls High School teachers ‘unsatisfactory’ in initial evaluation

[FBaggins]

CENTRAL FALLS — Until this fall, teacher evaluations at Central Falls High School, like many other schools in Rhode Island, didn’t mean much.

That changed when a team of outside evaluators began observing every teacher in the high school, using elements of a respected framework to assess their classroom performance.

Unlike previous evaluations, these carry consequences. Administrators said they would use the findings to make hiring decisions for the 2011-2012 school year. Furthermore, teachers found to be lacking will receive tailored training and support in an effort to improve instruction as quickly as possible, say the school’s leaders.

...snip...

Some teachers, however, feel this emphasis places them under unfair scrutiny and blames teachers for factors beyond their control, such as fractured families and the effects of poverty.



http://www.projo.com/news/content/cf_teachers_observed_11-29-10_JPL547O_v99.344204c.html

[dkf]

1. Sounds like 14 of 81.teachers put all the teachers at risk...

"The teachers agreed to the outside evaluations in May, as part of an agreement that saved all of their jobs. The agreement followed months of turmoil so acute it sparked a national debate about how to improve the nation’s worst schools."

"Many teachers at the high school demonstrated strength in some of the categories used by the Danielson Framework for Teaching, including professionalism and managing student behavior, Gallo said. However, managing student behavior remained a challenge for a handful of teachers. In addition, many teachers struggled in three key areas tied directly to student achievement: using assessment in instruction, engaging students in learning, and establishing a culture of learning."

[FBaggins]

3. That assumes that the "unsatisfactory" teachers knew who they were in advance...

...and, of course, that the assessment is accurate.

[dkf]

5. Yet all the unions insist evaluation and remedial training is the way to go.

Instead of firing based on scores.

Of course their optimum is to keep any teacher employed regardless of effectiveness, but that won't stand as we can't keep up with the Asians.

I wonder what the Chinese think of a teacher who says they can't teach their kids because the students live in poverty. Seriously.

[Catshrink]

12. Yeah. Test scores are the only way to measure student learning.

It didn't take long for the anti-union people to weigh in. You're so predictable.

[cleanhippie]

2. While teacher competency is important, its is all worthless...

until we can involve PARENTS in their childrens education, and hold PARENTS equally (if not more) accountable for failure.

[FBaggins]

4. Parents are already accountable.

These are their children that we're talking about. The kids that end up living in their basements and failing to find productive work to support themselves.

How much more accountable can they get? You going to take the kids away from the parents if they don't help with enough homework?

[cleanhippie]

9. see #8

Trying to respond to both of you.

[MineralMan]

6. And how do you plan to do that?

Hold parents accountable, I mean. How would that be done in your ideal system?

I keep seeing people say that, but I've never heard of a plan for doing it. So, what's your plan?

[cleanhippie]

8. I have always thought that parents should be required to spend time at school

doing something to support the school and their child(ren). Maybe an hour a quarter per child: help grade papers, organize projects, SOMETHING that shows their kids that they are an ACTIVE part of their education and that they CARE about it.

My wife is a 14 year gradeschool teacher, taught in 5 different states while I was in the Navy. Can barely get parents to show up for parent-teacher conferences.

Is this THE answer? I don't know, but I do know that until parents are held accountable, they will continue to treat public schools as free childcare...

[MineralMan]

11. How do you require adults to do something?

A lot of the parents of the very children who are in the worst trouble in school are woefully undereducated themselves. Grade papers? Many can't read at their own children's grade level. Organize something? What something? You cannot make people care about anything. That trick never works.

Yes, that's a wonderful idea. If only the parents cared. But, they don't, or they're working two jobs, or they're sleeping off their addiction. That's not an immediate solution at all. It hasn't happened, and it's not going to happen. So, it's up to the schools to deal with the situation as it is, not complain about what it is not when there's no viable way to change that.

[cleanhippie]

13. Don't know. Never claimed to have THE answer.

But I recognize one of the root problems when I see it. Do I know how to fix it? If I did, I probably wouldn't be posting here right now...

Ensuring teachers meet certain standards is good. I support that. But its not ALL that is needed. There are 4 basic parts to the school system; teachers, students, parents, school district(admin). Making only one or two of those platforms accountable will never work.

It's just a discussion, no need to get tense.

[DebJ]

15. So, tell me, what should a teacher do with the many

students who can't stay awake at all because they were stoned all night? Not once in awhile, but routinely. I see entire classrooms full of this stuff...seems the dopers all get put in a classroom together...... How is a teacher to fix this?
That is a sincere question, not an angry remonstrance.

[FBaggins]

16. Flunk them... eventually expel them.

Assuming that the result of sleeping/stoned in class is that they don't learn the required material and/or that their behavior makes it harder for other students to learn and for teachers to do their jobs.

[DebJ]

17. Ah, but then we have 'failed' as teachers, and 'failed' to

handle whatever comes in the door, failed to accept that we have to do what parents will not.

[FBaggins]

18. No... then the students and parents have failed.

No scare quotes necessary.

You're just the one telling them.

We are always teaching them. The real world will eventually hold them accountable in a BIG way for their failures. We do children no favors when we fail to hold them accountable for their behavior. We teach them precisely the wrong thing (while simultaneously harming the kids who are actually there to learn).

[MineralMan]

7. For those curious about the Danielson Framework for Teaching...

http://www.danielsongroup.org/theframeteach.htm

You can read about it here.

[Reader Rabbit]

10. I'd be curious to know more details.

• Which teachers were deemed unsatisfactory?
  
• What subjects did the unsatisfactory teachers teach?
  
• Did the evaluators have knowledge and expertise of the subjects being taught by those teachers they were evaluating?
  
• What was the teaching experience of the evaluators?
  
• What was the experience level of those teachers deemed unsatisfactory?
  
• What steps were taken to assure that the single 45-minute observation was not an anomaly?
  

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. And of course this proves they all should have been fired last year

How soon before their names are published in the local newspaper? Hell, this school's failing teachers will probably be front page NY Times.

Our first round evaluations are coming out as well. So far, I have heard from teachers who have been rated as 'unsatisfactory' for the following reasons:

1. for not having grades posted in the online grading program for a class she doesn't teach

2. for having only 4 work samples posted instead of the required 5

3. for a bulletin board that is more than a month old

4. for not having a teachers manual in his hand while teaching a lesson

Seems like we need to be worried more about incompetent administrators than teachers. But then, they don't make good front page stories.