Chapter 6 - Supervision and Evaluation of the Marginal Teacher

1. Chapter 6 - Supervision and Evaluation of the Marginal Teacher Created by: Deneise Hammond, Java Robinson, and Danielle Sultan

2. Why Are Marginal Teachers a Special Case in Supervisory Practice?

3. Laying the Groundwork for Remediation or Dismissal

4. Legal Considerations

5. Procedures Protecting Due Process • Understanding of process, standards, observations, procedures • Concerns and timeline • Docs to support need for assistance • Written notification and reasons for unsatisfactory evaluation • Hearing where teacher may have attorney • Decision after hearing based on evidence and legal rules • Written record of hearing

6. So how is incompetence defined? More than just bad teaching…. • Failure to maintain proper discipline • Poor judgment • Poor preparation • Lack of classroom control • Failure to treat students properly • Failure to demonstrate mastery of subject matter • Failure to accept teaching advice from superiors How is a marginal teacher like the wheel of fortune?

7. Intensive Assistance Plan • Principal creates an intervention plan • Goal is successful remediation • Time is provided for improvement • Intensive support • Includes at least two other teachers • Support teachers do not carry responsibility for summative evaluation • Offer modeling, planning support, set clear goals, strategies for attaining goals. Focus is on behaviors needed to bring improved performance!

8. Evaluation of the Marginal Teacher • Team approach accomplishes multiple goals • Increases the confidence of the administrator • Provides opportunity to collect a great deal more observational data • Demonstrates that the district has taken the issue of consistency of evaluation rankings across administrators very seriously Note: administrators responsible for summative evaluation should not serve as the administrator on the intensive support team.

9. Evaluation Standards • Procedures • Initial meeting between principal and marginal teacher following receipt of the notice of deficiency • Explanation of Process • Observations (combination of announced and unannounced) • Teacher directed to collect nonobservational data • Each evaluative observation followed by post observation conference • Written summary of conference • Review the data and come to conclusion

10. When Remediation Does Not Work • Paths taken by school districts • Tolerance and protection • Due to fear of costs of dismissal • Fear that the evaluation criteria not clear or strong enough • Principal have a natural desire to avoid conflict and hostility • Induced exit • Applying indirect pressure, make work life less attractive • Applying direct pressure (gentle persuasion to improve, increased negative feedback, counseling, etc.) • Intended to protect children from harm, allow teacher to save face, and prevent costly court battle • Dismissal • Emotionally and fiscally draining for all parties • Thought to be too costly and difficult to execute • Courts actually allow great leeway to school districts (provided established due-process procedures and documentation of their existence has occurred.)