Every year, when teachers return to their classrooms, one
recurring question seems to arise. How will I be evaluated? How will my
evaluation impact my future employment? In New Jersey, one segment of the
process is known by the acronym SGO – Student Growth Objective. The process
focuses on two central themes- what do the students in the classroom NEED to
learn, and HOW will the teacher know that they learned it? The controversy
exists because from the teachers’ standpoint these measure have a low level of
predictability. Additionally, the teachers will need to be trained in the
statistical self-study.
This anxiety and uncertainty exists in school districts
throughout the country and certainly weighs on the minds of teachers everywhere.
Charlotte Danielson is a Princeton, NJ based education
consultant was interviewed by ED Magazine of the US Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/Teacher-Evaluation-Systems).
In her interview she made several important points about teacher evaluation.
1)
Identify what constitutes good teaching. This is
an issue that has been debated ad nauseum and no school district or state or
federal agency has been able to successfully quantify this issue.
2)
Need for ongoing professional development. A
teacher’s education does not end with the awarding of a degree. Reading, on the
job training, and graduate level courses and conferences, all contribute to a
more effective and competent teacher.
3)
Prioritization- School administrators must
ascertain what is important in the evaluation process.
In a collegial and collaborative effort, teachers can be
effective tools in the education of America’s children.
c.2014 J.Margolis
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