tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post5020964720636778917..comments2024-03-07T15:25:26.971-05:00Comments on ICEUFT Blog: UFT-DOE FACT FINDING HEARINGS CONTINUEJeff Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11728874415155394751noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-30935959094330620312013-09-28T13:15:43.333-04:002013-09-28T13:15:43.333-04:00I know this about the old system - as a teacher wh...I know this about the old system - as a teacher who is prepared everyday, as one who is hardly absent, as one who has always established a wonderful rapport with both fellow staff and students and as one who is both charismatic and passionate about what I teach - I find the thought of a principal proving my incompetence hard to believe under the old system. Yes, they might wish to go after me - perhaps making my life difficult - but prove my incompetence - NEVER. Under this new evaluation, I can be all of the above and still there exists a chance that my number comes up 64 or below - thus incompetency or "ineffective" is now defined and written in stone. As for the independent evaluator, there is something that I am still confused about - anyone with the answer would be helping me out here. Will an independent evaluator just pop in three times out of the year WITHOUT announcing to the teacher he/she is supposed to be evaluating or will he/she tell the teacher about the classroom visit (date and such)? If the answer is the former, I do not look at this as anything positive at all - wow, you kick butt for a month straight and you have that one bad day when he/she happens to "pop in." This new evaluation is not a gain - it's basically analogous to taking your cars temperature with a rectal thermometer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-51916020297120249572013-09-28T12:49:34.169-04:002013-09-28T12:49:34.169-04:00That principal has little chance of getting that t...That principal has little chance of getting that teacher fired because the Bd of Ed will probably not charge the teacher with incompetence under the old system. In the new system, that same teacher gets a chance with a validator who will probably rubber stamp the principal's view. Then the burden of proof is on the teacher in the termination hearing. No chance of winning. Yes the old system is betterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-2298692755182529782013-09-28T10:12:34.181-04:002013-09-28T10:12:34.181-04:00The fact that the burden of proof has shifted from...The fact that the burden of proof has shifted from the principals to the teachers to prove our competence cannot be overstatedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-8303022363365969492013-09-28T08:34:19.771-04:002013-09-28T08:34:19.771-04:00It's hard to say with the new eval system. I ...It's hard to say with the new eval system. I work for a principal who is an absolute terror. She gave a U to a 20 year veteran last year who had amazing Regents scores and who also is quite a good and hardworking guy. She didn't think he was a good teacher hence the U. He's trying to appeal but the Union has told him they don't hold out much hope. So I think on one hand, how is this eval system any different. It's still a person in your room subjectively evaluating you. It's still the same Union refusing to defend you. I think we need to change the way classroom evaluations are done at this point. You have principals who are not teachers who have no idea how to fairly evaluate what's happening in the classroom. Maybe a team of teachers and the principal need to evaluate each other. Whatever system is in place, it will be bad for teachers when it's used by a principal who doesn't understand teaching and doesn't have reasonable idea of what should happen in a classroom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com