Anonymous said...This question weighs on me daily. In fact, it would drive me crazy if I didn't agonize about it so much. I, too, worry that my posts focus too much on the negative, on the weaknesses in our public school system. Don't think that I don't question my perspective and state of mind constantly – when I'm at work, writing this blog, and lying awake at 3am this past Monday night as I wrestled with what I should do with what I discovered that day at school.
Do the teachers in Loudoun ever do anything right? All you do is point out their failures. –01/26/2011
The simple answer to your question is, "Yes." Not only do a number of teachers do some and many things right and a few very well, there are a select few who do some awesome things every day. So do some administrators as well. Many other staff do good, great, or excellent jobs, such as custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers.
The more complete answer – and what drives me to constantly push for individual and systemic goal-setting, reflection and self-assessment, and improvement at work and here – is, "Yes, but not enough, not nearly enough."
And it's not so much that not enough staff are doing things right, however, as much as that they are not doing things anywhere near as well as they could be. The system doesn't let them. This means that for even the talented educators and administrators – in fact, especially for them – they either (1) work in isolation and their positive effects are limited essentially to the enclosures of their classroom walls; (2) create wonderful learning environments in their classrooms, but aren't interested in what happens in any other classroom; or (3) become very frustrated with working in a non-collaborative culture that doesn't reward results and professional development, and they leave the profession.
If LCPS were a business working in a competitive environment, where its customers could come and go as they pleased, then I wouldn't be as concerned. But it's not. In fact, it is a government-enforced monopoly funded by money forcefully obtained from customers and non-customers alike. And it's not making cell phones or chicken wings or blue jeans; its business is human beings, and minor human beings at that. That's why I am passionate, and that's why I focus on transforming the weaknesses, the institutional mediocrity, and the downright harms into strengths and authentically good results.
Besides, the LCPS administration does a pretty good job already as cheerleaders for their "successes," often at the expense of transparency and addressing the not-so-good aspects of public education in general and Loudoun's affluence-based complaisance in particular. And since I'm paying their salaries as they do it, it's only appropriate I sit on the other end of the teeter-totter. It's necessary.
I do constantly question my approach in this blog. At work, I compliment those who do well and encourage those who show promise; I also point out where things could be done better, but in a decidedly more tactful, more collegial way than here. Erwin Addison is my blog persona; his personality and approach is consciously different from my real and professional interaction with students, coworkers, and parents.
Anon, thank you for asking the question, and please come back and do so regularly – I may forget to ask it myself. I also point out that the other Our Loudoun Schools blogger, John Stevens, does a truly excellent job championing great people and programs in our schools, and also does not hesitate to point out its warts and areas needing improvement. I read everything he writes and am the better for it.
Now back to my nocturnal tossing and turning.
Excellent post! Why is LCPS so reluctant to fire under performing teachers? Your reference to a private sector company is a good one. In the private sector you either perform at a high level or you are gone.
ReplyDeleteI disagree wholeheartedly with the first comment that "in the private sector you either perform at a high level or you are gone."
ReplyDeleteThere are some private sector companies like that, I'm sure. But I've worked in enough private sector companies to know that it isn't the norm. I've also worked in civilian and military federal government as well as local government.
In each one I have encountered people who are excellent, people who are just getting by and people who are utterly incompetent.
Compared to these other organizations, the pressure to perform at LCPS is much higher in my experience, and people generally rise to that challenge.
I am familiar with the people who don't, and I am familiar with the frustrations that Erv mentions that our system often requires that excellence be its own reward. That's often the case in the private sector too. The two are very different, but not so far apart.
Thank you for the kind words, Erv.
Amen to that, John!
ReplyDeleteI am all for standards and high expectations. I am also for hearing (and being a part of) constructive, up front discussions. (With that said--Erv, your posts make me think, evaluate, ponder, etc... and at times they make me cringe. I guess I often find your tone sharp and sometimes not fully productive. That doesn't sit very well with many people--especially elementary teachers, it seems, like me.
ReplyDeleteNow to just firing employees who aren't up to par--LCPS has an evaluation process in place. That process lays out specific criteria, guidelines and timelines for administrators as they assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the teachers who they supervise.
So, to those who shout about firing "bad" teachers I say: Expect, no-demand, that principals follow the evaluation process. Doing so includes observing teachers by following the designated requirements in the evaluation tool (at a minimum). Also expect that administrators offer constructive feedback and strategies so the teacher has all opportunity to grow and improve---from the moment that employee comes under supervision.
Now, if and when those supports have been in place and the teacher is not able to perform to the expected level, move to not renew/give a rating of unsatisfactory etc. after the administrator has done his/her part.
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ReplyDeleteVoice of reason?, I couldn't agree more. I, too, cringe when critics such as Michelle Rhee appear to jump to the "fire" the ineffective teachers stance quickly. My focus is that we need to be developing staff, not getting rid of them. But then I look around me and see that no one is truly coaching us, that no one is really interested in helping us excel, to overcome our weaknesses and leverage our strengths. Unfortunately, the majority of us -- for a number of complex reasons -- aren't interested in developing.
ReplyDeleteIt's then that I feel Rhee's frustrations over the status quo and understand perhaps why she takes the strong position she does.
We agree about the importance of evaluation by admins. We must, however, question whether having our administrators, our potential coaches, in our classrooms only once or twice a year, interacting with us, is enough. Also, are they skilled enough in staff development and this type of coaching?
And thank you for your comment about my sharp tone. You have a point, although I like to think I employ it appropriately and productively.