The West Virginia Legislature has been called into a May special session by Gov. Joe Manchin, whose agenda offers several potential reforms within the state’s education system.
Though I’m not a member of the Senate Education Committee, it’s still my job to understand public opinion on such matters. I asked a few of my counterparts serving on the education committee to formulate some questions for you.
Please consider three minutes to answer these basic survey questions relating to potential education reforms in West Virginia (responses linked below).
Feel free to also submit additional comments via this blog. Let’s create some online discussion regarding this most important topic, so legislators can better understand the public’s perspective and craft necessary solutions.
The state Board of Education president recently published her thoughts on education reform in West Virginia, saying “It is time to stop playing the blame game and start talking.”
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UPDATE, May 18
The above survey responses offer an unofficial, yet interesting glimpse into reader opinions, as they relate to education reforms being considered by the state Legislature.
Teacher union officials have expressed concern regarding proposed legislation that would require annual evaluations, tie pay raises to student performance, and provide additional pay for teachers in high-poverty schools.
The proposed legislation was developed over many months. Details regarding that process are available here.
It’s noteworthy that Colorado and New York recently passed similar reforms to those being considered in West Virginia.
As these proposals are being discussed, let’s remember teachers are the backbone of our education system. Sen. Roman Prezioso forwarded an interesting reminder along these lines, Survivor – Teacher Edition, which offers worthwhile perspective into the obligations of such a demanding profession.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
It would be very impractical for principals to evaluate every teacher every year using the current evaluation policy (5310). The forms require written comments on 55 criteria for each of three 30-minute minimum observations required for each evaluation and for the evaluation form, plus a conference within 5 days of each observation and evaluation.
New teachers get two evaluations per year with six observations. Multiply that time and paper work requirement by the number of teachers in a building (20-25 in a typical elementary school) and there would be time for little else.
What would be helpful and beneficial to student progress is the building authority to hire teachers who fit the school needs and culture and to evaluate and dismiss poor performing teachers.
As it stands now, poor performing teachers must go through a plan of improvement which provides opportunities and support to improve over time. Most often they can show some small improvement under direct supervision and end up keeping the job, despite recommendations of termination by the building principal. Once the plan of improvement is finished, most poor teachers return to poor performance.
Meanwhile, the students continue to suffer while that teacher remains on the job until they become uncomfortable enough to transfer to another school, and the cycle repeats.
Please, please seek principal input into these critical issues.
Yep. I have worked with teachers who have been regular “plan of improvement” participants and they’re a real bummer for other teachers, as well! In fact, I was actually bumped out of a position by one of those “plan of improvement” teachers, and what an insult that was!!!
I am currently teaching in a private school and looking forward to putting my kids through this school as they reach middle and high school ages. I realize that private schools and public schools are totally different animals, but I am extremely happy with my school.
Charleston Catholic WORKS! Teachers are happy here and are encouraged to follow their passions — in teaching and in their own self-improvement.
Bad teachers are sent packing, and we all know we are expected to perform, but I’ve never seen a teacher booted out because teachers want to do well, here. We are treated as respected professionals, supported by our administration, and are not held responsible for things we have no control over.
I’m sorry, but holding teachers responsible for student performance is unfair. If students aren’t getting encouragement and support from home, it is going to show in their performance, no matter how great the teachers are! It happens at Catholic, too.
We have a strong principal who works to create an alliance between parents, students, teachers, and administration, and who works tirelessly to keep everyone on the same page. In return, the parents support the school and volunteer quite a bit. They are part of the educational process at home, and at the school.
Sen. McCabe and other policy makers, I invite you to visit the school and see what works. Yes, it is different than public school, but having worked in both public and private schools, I think there is a lot that can be learned from this school.
Senator McCabe:
I am a bit unique as I have two education degrees, teaching (regular and special education) and administrative (vice principal, principal and central office curriculum and instruction director) experience. I left education to pursue a business career at the request of a Charleston business owner who requested I help teach his managers how to better manage. I have been in business for 25 years and serve as a business lobbyist, as well.
With all due respect, a production line solution cannot be snapped into the Education system… For example, evaluating EVERY teacher every year is a poor use of time. It’s NOT likely to result in better instruction / results. The focus must be on where the problems are…. every good principal knows very specifically where they are BUT they do not have the leverage to provide a reasonably quick due process and dismissal. I’m not suggesting the removal of a teacher’s due process rights but the principal must be able to invest time & focus to document sufficiently to move poor teachers OUT fairly quickly and fairly – not transfer the problems to other schools. Moving incompetence somewhere else does not make the system better
May I suggest you read Malcolm Gladwell’s “What the Dog Saw” chapter .. “Most Likely To Succeed .. How do we hire when we can’t tell who’s right for the job?” We have to make better hiring decisions. So you think anyone can teach ? Read the noted chapter…
Principals are derived from the same selection pool as good and poor teachers. If you assume all principals are deserving of the added power … assume not. An excellent teacher never fears evaluation – it , generally, confirms what he / she already knows and provides the opportunity for constructive feedback on how to get even better – another welcome acknowledgment. Eval needs to be done BUT not every year for ALL teachers (in production line fashion) in the proposed formalized bureaucratic, paper bound way. Please , no “good” teacher wants to be evaluated by a poor principal who is distrusted … has significantly less training than the teacher being evaluated and / or is known to have been a poor teacher who was kicked upstairs…
May I suggest a delightful , illustrative book on school leadership called , “Don’t Teach the Canaries NOT to Sing”, to “fix” the leadership issue.
We really do know what works in school leadership and teaching. I regret the Universities have not weighed in with specific research on what works to develop and support high quality schools/ teachers. Where are they … ? One of the key things they do not teach is how to manage and control the classroom … so teaching / learning can actually take effect…
No classroom control – no learning… poor test scores
The foundation of effective schools – teaching and school leadership is called “parenting” and parent participation in schooling by role modeling, setting expectations and nurturing constructive, affirmative support. May I suggest readings on the KIPP schools … and an excellent book on motivation called “Drive” by Daniel Pink…. So how can the Legislature help on the keystone parenting issues ? After all , no attendance – no learning , no expectations / support – no learning .. poor test scores. In “loco parentiss” has its limitations.
The Legislature can help plow the ground for success by identifying key tenets for success and supporting education. I see evidence of that concern in the Call but don’t see ALL the “right” stuff. I commend the desire and effort but the map is not flush…
The “teacher survivor” essay is right on. In business, I work with absolutely brilliant, successful and concerned men and women but not one could survive a week as a kindergarten teacher … In business we can reject any and all raw materials that don’t meet specs. Kindergarten teachers must take all comers – civilize , socialize , teach ‘em to read , write their names and calculate… They take ‘em as they come and fill in some really big gaps … The more with BIG gaps, the tougher the algorithm mix… If they are not successful the gaps grow upward … If you were at Toyota , you would have the responsibility to stop the line
Best regards to you and thank – you for your leadership and concerns…
I have to agree 100% with Rebecca Burch. Tests tests and more tests shows nothing but how well someone answers questions on a test. Not how well they perform. Teaching is different from many other professions. My mother was a teacher, and I am not. Evaluating a teacher is more than looking at student scores. Sure, maybe some of that can be taken into consideration, but like Rebecca said, it requires parents to be involved, and caring about how their kids do. On top of that, not every kid is equal. I can remember many occasions that my mom was given the “bottom of the barrel” of the students. She always brought the best out in them. It wasn’t because she was the smartest, did the best of tests herself, had the most training, etc… It was because she took an interest in the kids. She bucked the system, and did what worked, and not what the school system said. And she was able to because she is a Christian, and used those influences in her classroom, and you know what? Not one parent complained. She connected, and she still has students who look her up just to tell her what a big influence she has been on their lives. In summary, you cannot legislate better schools. Won’t work. Never will.
Mike Keener — Mr. Keener — was my elementary school principal. He saved our school after a very bad administrator. I’ve never seen anything quite so powerful and effective in a challenging management situation before or since. For whatever it’s worth, I’d say weigh his advice. Heavily.
+1 to Elizabeth. I had the opportunity to attend the school that Mr. Keener saved as well as work with him in the private sector. His leadership was invaluable in both environments.
The question on permanent tenure is not a good one. Currently, after three years, teachers become tenured. This means they can be terminated only for cause, not that they have a lifetime job. They can be terminated for poor teaching, but a principal has to really do his/her job properly in order to do so. This means more evaluations and opportunities to bring teaching up to the required quality. There is room for a grievance by the teacher, but that is necessary to avoid arbitrary action by principals. However, bad teachers can be terminated, even if they have tenure. Tenure now is permanent, subject to cause termination. Saying “permanent tenure” sounds like a change from the current approach, and smacks of a permanent job, regardless of cause. It is inaccurate, and it is no wonder a large percentage answered “No.”
Mr. Baker is right on. The Principal MUST work to continuously support the exceptional and good teachers and exert sufficient effort and leverage to either alter – make MUCH better – or “promote out” the poor teacher. Yes, this now takes too much time and a modest improvement is not sufficient to allow the continuation of the dance of the lemons to imperil another group of children.
You have to care deeply about kids and you have to work passionately to create an exceptionally fertile environment for children to grow. The Principal serves best by setting mutual and positive expectations and working with the willing staff and community to make it so. I have found that poor teachers – in the aforementioned environment – make a hasty exit because they don’t want to work that hard and it’s very easy to see any / all dull deficiencies in a shining environment. The willing and exceptional staff are also less willing to codone the indolent, as well.
It’s not easy. It’s hard work “at the site”. You can’t legislate “it” but you can identify and promote “it” Support the best teachers and you move the system forward. Condone the poor and you create a morass. I know this works … regardless of the community demographics / poverty levels. Show parents you care and they come out in droves to help and they support the school in all aspects.
Tests results should validate progress and success , identify needs /oppotunities for improvement. Good teachers will appreciate good scores validating quality instruction and willingly participate in the design , development and execution of a plan to “fix” any deficiency. Sounds like a business plan doesn’t it ? … continuous improvement / successive approximation … and all that business stuff , etc.
The keys to exceptional schools are – parents that care and are invited in and are treated as prized members of the greater teaching staff, good – hard working , caring passionate teachers and School Leadership that begs , borrows and / or gets whatever is necessary to support the kids and good staff to achieve the desired results – continuous batches of highly literate and productive graduates who have learned how to learn.
If the Legislature wants to help, find a way to allow “exceptional teachers” to be identified fairly and reward them for their success for and with successful children – the only true “results” of the school system.
Evaluate every teacher every year? No. How about a targeted, knowledgable effort to support the best , fix the few willing to be fixed and move with laser focus at moving out those few dragging down the system and harming children.
Reduce the time frames to move the poor teachers out while also keeping it fair and disciplined. I beleive the unions know this is necessary but I also beleive they MUST be engaged and challenged to help set and manage the gates. However, ALL must immediately commence rowing in the SAME direction…. and expeditously.
We had also better have a plan to replace all the really exceptional / good teachers on the cusp of retirement. Yes, there really is a “good” teacher shortage and it will rapidly get worse as our best retire. Think it’s easy ? Work in a school and classroom for a week and be emphatically disabused of that notion.
Recommended reading … best identified by results / outcomes / value added !
Data Revolution
posted by Amanda Ripley in Education
August 16, 2010 at 11:49 AM
Something remarkable happened in Los Angeles this weekend. The LA Times printed the first in what appears to be a groundbreaking series about teachers in LA. The newspaper somehow got access to the individual data for 6,000 public school teachers–and then, with the help of a Rand Corp. researcher, crunched the numbers to come up with a value-added analysis for these teachers. In other words, the newspaper now knows which teachers have dramatically increased their students’ test scores over time–and which have not.
Among the more interesting findings:
“Contrary to popular belief, the best teachers were not concentrated in schools in the most affluent neighborhoods, nor were the weakest instructors bunched in poor areas. Rather, these teachers were scattered throughout the district. The quality of instruction typically varied far more within a school than between schools.
Although many parents fixate on picking the right school for their child, it matters far more which teacher the child gets. Teachers had three times as much influence on students’ academic development as the school they attend. Yet parents have no access to objective information about individual instructors, and they often have little say in which teacher their child gets.”
I am very curious to hear more about how the LA Times got this data. I had always been told that this kind of data was considered part of the confidential personnel record, at least in DC. At the same time, I suspected it could not remain confidential forever. Once parents begin to understand how dramatically kids’ scores can vary from one teacher to another–even within the same school–parents will begin to demand this information. It’s all well and good to say testing is out of control–until you are offered the chance to see the data for your own kid’s teachers.
Later this month, the newspaper will release a searchable database of the 6,000 teachers with their data attached. It will be fascinating to see how LA parents use this information–and whether teachers take the opportunity to respond to the assessments (as the newspaper has invited them to do.) For now, the union has called the series “dangerous” and is calling for a boycott of the newspaper.
In short, the best teachers are identified by student outcomes / outputs / results from year to year , every year.
Credentials / added ceritifications do not directly correlate with added value… outcomes.
The LA Times / Rand Coprporation analysis of seven years of test data of 6,000 Los Angeles classroom teachers validates …