Data, data, data, the administrators at the ivory tower
scream it at the top of their lungs. They demand teachers be data driven but
what happens when the big boss isn’t all that data driven. Let me just list the
ways.
Teach for America, they do the exact opposite of what we
know to be best of our schools and they even fly in the face of the
superintendent’s talented teacher transfer initiative.
Speaking of the TTTI, the department of education conducted
a similar study and it had mixed results at best. The super is about to make a
35 million dollar gamble on evidence that doesn’t say it is warranted.
Iranetta Wright one of his chiefs was the principal of
Jackson High and it received the following grades under her watch. D, F, D, B
and then a D or worse, it’s hard to tell because the school was protected by
the states inane rule that schools can only drop one letter grade. Furthermore
the gains the school made came only after the district put extra resources and half the student body left. How she is more than a dean of girls at
a middle school is beyond me.
The super has contracted with the New Teacher Project to
examine our human capital. This ideological driven organization has had their
agenda, data and studies questioned by professional educators.
Maybe Vitti and his cluster chiefs could start by not harassing his best teachers out of the system. All of the CC's are bullies and most of his principals too. Perhaps a team of professional teachers with no agenda or prejudice could evaluate teachers.
ReplyDeleteThat would be novel. Actual teachers could evaluate teachers, instead of people who haven't taught in the classroom in years (or only taught for 3 years). I think I could be impartial. I have compassion, but if people are not doing their jobs, I tell them.
ReplyDelete