Attitudes toward teacher evaluations
ATTITUDES TOWARD TEACHER EVALUATIONS
QUICK ANECDOTE Given the ambitious schedule and some unresolved questions, many districts are understandably behind where they hope to be in implementing evaluation systems. One point is clear however – engaging teachers in the process is essential to success. When approached from a growth perspective (as the evaluation system is in Bayfield and other
“There are still some questions, but teachers have to look at this as a good thing. Districts can choose what filters they use for student growth to capture an accurate reflection. It’s not about wagging a finger at a teacher. It’s all to help us be better teachers.” — Pagosa Springs Middle School Language Arts Teacher Pam Monteferrante
districts), much of the early anxiety is dissipating as answers to questions become clearer and educators begin to recognize new opportunities for targeted professional learning.
A MORE ROBUST TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM IS SEEN AS A PATH TO BETTER SUPPORTS FOR TEACHERS For many in Colorado’s education system, tying teacher evaluations to student growth has been an initiative that simultaneously elicits huge enthusiasm and great anxiety. The enthusiasm stems from the chance to finally demonstrate, in real terms, the student growth that teachers are seeing in classrooms across the state and then reward that achievement as well as provide professional learning help where teachers are struggling. Much of the apprehension stems from how to actually implement this complex system in a fair way. For Steve Otter, integration project manager for the San Juan BOCES, the educator effectiveness work is an opportunity to build the respect that educators deserve. “We see a real opportunity to really lift teachers back up as professionals. To show our communities the types of things that they do, the amount of knowledge they have and their willingness to grow,” he said. Randy Boyer, Executive Director of the San Juan BOCES agrees. “This has really brought the spotlight to improvement of practice and I think it will move the educational profession up to the respect level where it should be,” he said. “I’ve had so many parents say ‘anyone can teach’ and we’ve got to get way beyond that. Its’ not about firing teachers – it’s about
partnering and getting them to improve and do the right thing for kids.” From Montezuma-Cortez Superintendent Alex Carter’s perspective, the attitudes toward the changes are still variable. “I don’t think there’s a huge amount of fear around evaluations but I still feel like there’s a lot of ignorance out there. We’re trying to find ways to make it known that this is what we’re working on and this is what’s coming.” Bayfield’s Superintendent Troy Zabel agrees. “There is still some anxiety across the system because the 50 percent Pagosa Springs Middle School Principal Chris Hinger agrees. growth piece is still unknown,” he said. Zabel spends a “We haven’t quite figured out how to tie the performance lot of his time talking to teachers in small committees and growth piece to teacher evaluation. But we are in the process conducting focus groups to get teacher input on what the of getting staff input, and hopefully by Fall 2013 we’re going student growth piece of the puzzle might look like. They’re to have something in place for that, because we’re supposed working on the answers to to be running this full tilt,” he said. tough questions like: How Like many administrators “If I’m not being effective, I am doing can we measure it? How do charged with implementing the we define it? What are the my students a disservice. Seeing new system, Centennial School types of assessments and the various changes in our state as District Principal Curtis Garcia measurements that are going is behind the schedule he had an opportunity to be more effective to go into evaluating how our hoped to follow for implementing kids are growing? How do gives context to the work.” evaluations more focused and we account for core content —Kimba Rael robust than the district has ever vs. electives? “We want used. more than a single point of measurement,” he added. “The whole growth piece is just a Zabel will admit that Bayfield has seen its share of growing pains, but he credits his staff with embracing the process and its opportunities for targeted professional development. “We’re coming at it completely from a growth perspective – not just the student growth that they are being evaluated on, but how are we doing in providing tools and supports to help them grow as teachers?” Bayfield is approaching the new requirements from a system of support that “engages staff in the conversation and gives them the assurance that this is being done with them, not to them.”
foggy area for us. What assessments should we use? What other factors should come in? How do we implement this fairly across all teachers? Those are the kinds of questions we’ve been asking. As a result, our teachers had anxiety about it,” he said. “But I’ve seen anxiety drop significantly now that teachers have begun using the new teaching tools provided and are really seeing progress in their classrooms.” For their part, teachers are embracing what could be anxietyprovoking changes to their profession while being realistic
(Continued on back)
about the new system’s limitations. Ty Flom, a science teacher at Durango High School feels more prepared for the new teacher evaluations because of the implementation of new instructional methods like the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). Last year, Flom’s school saw a five percent growth in science scores which he credits in large part to the LDC modules. “There’s a huge section of the evaluation criteria that the LDC modules would cover so if you do your modules you’re in good shape,” he said. Pam Monteferrante is a language arts teacher at Pagosa Springs Middle School. Although she and her colleagues have experienced some anxiety around test scores, she’s confident that the anxiety will dissipate as more clarity surfaces in how student growth will be tied to educator evaluations. “There are still some questions, but teachers have to look at this as a good thing. Districts can choose what filters they use for student growth to capture an accurate reflection,” said Monteferrante. “It’s not about wagging a finger at a teacher. It’s all to help us be better teachers,” added Monteferrante. Kimba Rael, the sole language arts teacher in tiny Centennial School District in San Luis, couldn’t agree more. “I am their one and only English teacher for four years of learning. If I’m not being effective, I am doing my students a disservice. Seeing the various changes in our state as an opportunity to be more effective gives context to the work. Integration is the lens to see how these elements fit together to improve learning opportunities for kids. My students deserve and want meaningful learning experiences; I will not deny their thirst.”
Colorado Legacy Foundation 1660 Lincoln Street Suite 2000 Denver, CO 80264 720-502-4726 • 866.611.7509 (F) www.colegacy.org
Explaining this difference isn’t easy.