Advocacy Series, November 2012
Fall Evaluation Meetings ADEPT, GBE, Improvement Plans
I n t r o d u c t i on Negative observations or evaluations can be upsetting and cause teachers to feel threatened, especially if a bad review was not expected or warranted. Many people are worried about the economy and unemployment and these worries heighten anxiety around performance evaluations. These emotions can interfere with performance, lead to emotional or inappropriate responses to criticism, spontaneous resignations, or keep educators from taking appropriate steps to address the situation. During December, educators will be called into meetings to review the results of first semester GBE, SAFE-T and Improvement Plans. This paper will provide information to help educators prepare for these conferences and address criticism.
T h e P r e l i m in a r y ( D e c em b e r ) Eva l u a ti o n M e e t i n g The ADEPT process calls for a Preliminary Evaluation conference at the end of the first data collection window. Almost without exception, this window ends prior to the start of the Christmas break. At this conference, the Team will present their findings for the 1st semester. This meeting is not handled the same in each district. Sometimes the Chair of the Team will do all of the talking or the team may share this task. The principal may opt to use technology and project the document on a screen. The Chair or Team will walk through the form and read each rating. They should pause to offer you the opportunity to ask questions. If they do not offer you this opportunity, you should speak up if you have a question or need clarity. Knowing what each evaluator wants will help you next semester, so as they state the rationale for each rating, ask questions if you need to. If you have evidence or an explanation that you believe is significant enough to change the ratings, you should present that evidence.
Administration should not overreact to one-time missteps or use the evaluation process to give them more weight than necessary. If this happens, ask them to reconsider their rating. On the other hand, if you did misstep, accept it and have confidence in your ability to not repeat the same mistake. Sometimes you can do everything right and still have a bad outcome, but we can often look back at a situation and see an opportunity to do something different next time. If the administrator or evaluation Team gave you a low rating, when your overall performance did not warrant it, you should bring that to their attention and ask them to reconsider. If you have any reason to doubt their knowledge of your content area, ask how they assessed your work given their lack of exposure to that subject. Be respectful. Avoid being defensive. It will not help if you offend the Team. If you received “unmet� in APS10, ask them how and what they observed. If they tell you they received the information from the principal, ask them how they reached consensus on something they did not observe or have first hand knowledge. 1
Advocacy Series, November 2012
Evaluation Meeting continued If you believe the rating for APS10 was based on a personal bias or a one-time event, don’t hesitate to point that out or explain why you believe the rating is unfair. Ask the Team what they need to see from you, to “pass” in the second semester. Write every word down. Even if you do not agree with the ratings, maintain a professional demeanor. Refrain from appearing upset or angry because that behavior will work against you. Do not refuse to sign evaluation documents. SC state law requires teachers sign evaluation documents and refusal to sign could lead to a charge of insubordination. Most, if not all, districts include a statement on these forms that make it clear that a signature does not indicate an agreement with the content. If the form does not contain this sentence, and you are not in agreement with the content of the document, you may add a sentence next to your signature that states briefly that there is disagreement with the evaluation and a formal response will be forthcoming.
“Unmet” in First Semester and the Impact on Your Final Rating The ADEPT process allows performance weaknesses that occur in the first semester but not in the second semester to impact the end of year rating. We think this is unfair. A performance weakness (or an isolated incident) that occurred only in the first semester that has been resolved, should not be a factor in the end of the year/final evaluation. This approach may cause a teacher who gets “unmet” in the first semester to simply give up because he or she will assume that her efforts to improve during the second semester won’t matter. Adults are no different from our students. We need a fair and reasonable grading system and opportunities to be successful. During the Preliminary evaluation conference, teachers should ask the evaluators what bearing the ratings for the first semester will have on the final evaluation results. Also, ask for any support or resources needed.
Reb u t t a l s a n d A p p e a l s Just because you disagree with your evaluation does not automatically mean you should file an appeal. If, after some self reflection, you believe you received a fair evaluation, consider moving on and just doing all you can to improve. A written response for the file is appropriate as a way to get any concerns you have on record. Ask for help if you need it. Rebuttal Meeting Prepare in advance. Know what you want to say and what outcome you seek. Allow enough time to properly prepare yourself for the meeting. Ask for specifics about negative criticisms. Ask for clarification and additional information about vague comments. If your evaluation failed to document what you did well, ask why and ask that the evaluation be amended to include this information. Verbalize your disagreement in a calm, collected manner. Be cautious against sounding defensive or phrasing terms in an accusatory manner. Avoid being confrontational, but ask for clarification on matters where you disagree in order to fully understand what your principal or the evaluators found unsatisfactory. Use your best communication skills during this meeting. It is a good idea to 2
Advocacy Series, November 2012
practice your presentation. This will help you be more at ease. You can use a post card with bulleted talking points or keywords to help you remember all of the important things you wanted to say. Make sure that there was no miscommunication related to expectations. Is the evaluation based on the goals and criteria that you expected? Defend but don’t be defensive. Defend your case logically and present written evidence in support of your argument. Do not get emotional or agitated. You may feel the urge to vent your emotions, but doing so will backfire. If you have mentally prepared yourself to remain calm and you take notes during this meeting, you should be able to get through it successfully. Remember, The SCEA can assist you in addressing your concerns after the meeting. If you do not want to meet face to face, The SCEA can help you prepare a written rebuttal.
Written Rebuttals Explain what you disagree with and why. Include statements about your positive performance and offer examples. Avoid sounding defensive or angry-- take time to cool down after your evaluation before writing a response. A verbal show of anger or defensiveness can be read as a sign of guilt. Address only your performance when writing out your rebuttal. Talking about colleagues is unprofessional and will reflect poorly on you. Your letter should be concise and no longer than 1-2 pages. Your document should be typed and easy to ready. Break long paragraphs into smaller ones. Once a letter gets too long, it is less likely to be read. Use good writing skills and spell check. Your letter will become a permanent part of your personnel file, so take your time and create a professional document. The SCEA can help you.
Telling Lies about Your Work It can be very upsetting when a teacher believes that his or her work and reputation have been misrepresented. The problem is that evaluating teachers is a subjective process and this creates the potential for dispute. The evaluators have guidelines to follow, their own frame of reference as an educator, and their individual viewpoints. Explanation vs. Evidence: What is “evidence”? When a teacher has a rational explanation of why something went wrong during an observation or why a rating should be reconsidered, that isn’t necessarily “evidence” sufficient enough to change the rating. If the teacher has reliable data to support the explanation, the argument gets stronger. Real evidence shows that the Team failed to follow the procedures or did not consider all of the performance data. If the Team or administrator was unnecessarily stringent or misleading, the teacher’s explanation may make a difference. The outcome of an appeal is not always predictable, so educators should not hesitate to file an appeal. Defamation of Character (slander/libel) and discrimination are defined by federal and state laws. Educators should be careful about interpreting their current situation in the context of those laws. 3
Advocacy Series, November 2012
Filing an Appeal - Possible Approaches 1. File a grievance using the Employee Grievance Procedure located in your district’s board policies. Using this policy, the grievance must normally be filed within 10 working days from the final evaluation conference. This is not the same in all districts, so check the district’s grievance procedure, located in the Board policy manual. The Grievance procedure has several appeal levels including Human Resources, the superintendent and the Board. 2. Go to your principal and plead your case. Take all documentation you have to refute the rating. Your principal has the power to overturn or overlook the ratings of the evaluation Team. He or she may not believe this, but The SCEA has confirmed with the state department that this is true. 3. Approach the ADEPT coordinator at the district office and plead your case. Like the principal, the ADEPT coordinator at the district office has the power to set aside the ratings as they relate to contract or personnel decisions. 4. If you try #2 or #3 above and are not successful, consider approaching the superintendent. 5. A last resort is to contact the State Department of Education. They need to hear about your experiences. They need to know how your district handles the evaluation system. The process will never improve if the SDE doesn’t hear these stories. BAD IDEAS:
CONTACTING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. This is a breach of protocol that will reflect poorly on you. Most districts have a policy that sets forth their expectations as it relates to staff contacts to a school board member. Sending letters or e-mail to your administrator or evaluation team without seeking guidance from The SCEA. We can help you craft a good document. Comments on Facebook Asking a spouse, parent or other family member to call the district on your behalf. Threatening to involve an attorney or file lawsuits.
These actions may damage your relationship with your employer.
C o n c l u s i o n : G o o d Te a c h e r Ve r s u s G o o d E va l u a t i o n Over the years, The SCEA assisted many teachers who failed their evaluation. Some of those teachers were National Board Certified, Teachers of the Year, veterans with many years of experience, teachers from other states who were successful, and teachers who never had a problem until a new principal showed up on the scene. Teachers often find it very disappointing to hear criticism about their work. After all, they worked hard to achieve their level of success and recognition, and it is difficult to work in an environment where these accomplishments are not recognized or don’t seem to matter. In reality, the performance or skill of a teacher rarely changes, but the school environment demands of the administration may. These changes can impact the outcome of the teacher’s evaluation. Recognitions, awards, and degrees will not guarantee a successful evaluation, and success in one state, district, or school does not mean a teacher will be successful if any of those change. In addition to the environmental or transitional changes that may throw a teacher off her game or create conflict, sometimes it’s a simple matter of a teacher’s ability to meet the expectations of the principal or district. Principals are given the authority to dictate what good teaching looks like in his or her school and teachers must strive to meet those expectations. Teachers are encouraged to contact The SCEA for assistance if subjected to an unfair evaluation. E-mail us at help@thescea.org or call 864-641-7272. Visit The SCEA at www.thescea.org/help ~ Visit The SCEA Member Advocacy Center at www.thescea.org/mac 4