School Reform Snag

by Michael Sean Winters

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This news story in yesterday's Washington Post caught my eye. The teachers' union in Washington has filed a grievance because some of the evaluations of teachers were based on erroneous data. The union is seeking to have the evaluations made available to them and their members so they can scrutinize them for other errors.

You see the problem?

Why on earth would an evaluation not be shared with the person being evaluated in the first place? What good is it otherwise? The whole purpose of evaluations is to create a dynamic in which management or, in this case, school administrators, can help staff members improve their performance. How can that be accomplished if the staff member does not sit down with the administrator and go through the evaluation item by item? 

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