Evaluation/Effectiveness Bill

There is a bill being formalized that will modify current laws and policies concerning the evaluation of efficiency for teachers and principals. I have read the bill and its accompanying fact sheet and I believe there are a lot of positive pieces within the bill. I think Senator Johnston is on the right track, but the bill would be much stronger and have greater potential for impact if they can just wait till December of this year.

The issues myself and many teachers have with the bill concern the evaluation of effectiveness. In education we are not very good at evaluating teachers and principals, and we certainly don't know what constitutes an effective teacher or principal. This bill does not help us solve this problem, which is what it is intended to solve. In December we will have two quality sources of information on teacher effectiveness and evaluation from the governors education council and the Bill and Melinda Gates grant in Denver Public Schools. These two groups are charged with finding the best ways to evaluate teachers and how to measure effectiveness.

If we pass the bill, then we will have every district in the state defining what the bill leaves out, which will cost a lot of money and creation of evaluation programs that may or may not be effective. I believe many districts would prefer to see what DPS and the governors council have found out. This information could help them prevent wasting of time and money. We already lack money in education, and an unfunded bill will not make things better without more detail and suggestion on how to do things the right way.

The bill really has great potential, and is ultimately necessary legislation, but we need to know what effective teaching and administering looks like and how to evaluate it appropriately. I want to see the change take place over the next few years, but I also want to make sure that districts are given as much information and support as possible to enact this change.

Teaching = Talent

I recently read an article in "New York Times Magazine" about what makes a good teacher. The conclusion of the article was very good, as it determined that quality teachers are highly skilled and talented in the art of teaching. It described a disconnect between how we train teachers and what good teachers are able to do. It has apparently become evident that we struggle to teach teachers how to teach effectively. The article discusses possible reasons for this. One main reason is that good teachers have broken the day into nuances and small decisions that shape and frame their classroom. What you say, how you say it, and where you say it all have meaning. I completely and totally agree with the conclusion of this article.

Quality teaching is an art that requires practice and in depth understanding of how to read people and situations. This is why not everyone is capable of teaching, and why some of our most famous quotes are so frustrating. "Teachers aren't all that smart in their content area." "How hard can it be, you get the summers off and you only work from 8-3." "If you have a degree, then you can definitely teach." "Teachers are all so great and do such a wonderful job." I add the last quote because I don't believe that people really mean it (lip service), especially since it is statistically impossible for every teacher to be that great.

We need to increase exposure for high quality teachers, and do a better job of recognizing teachers for what they do. I honestly believe that most people are somewhat unclear of what quality teachers do day in and day out. They are unaware of the time, energy, and effort that is applied to ensure that students are succeeding. One reason could be that everyone went to school, so they believe they know what's going on in the classroom. We should probably share every detail, nuance, and decision we make throughout a day, so that they truly understand the complexity and difficulty of the job.

What are some of the small details/nuances of teachers' jobs that make them "high quality?"