The over testing culture going on in schools today.

[Carrie Mathison]

 

And you don't wonder why people think you are a jerk.

The next time i hire a lawyer i think i will test them. That way i will feel better when the bill comes and i see charges for billable hours and the costs per hour.

 

Well you should. If they aren't providing the services as contracted for, then you should dispute the billables, as many clients do. This is why most states have very strict rules on how attorneys bill and there is usually some type of fee arbitration mechanism, like in NY.

 

Teachers are the only "profession" I know where they feel, for whatever reason, completely exempt from having to show any quantifiable indicators of performance whatsoever. On my last performance review, if I was so bold as to suggest a raise after not proving what value I'm adding to the company (in exact $ amount), I'd be laughed right out of the room, as I damn well should be. And they would laugh even harder if I said, "hey I think I do a good job! Pay me!"

 

But teachers... nah, it's always this same tiring song and dance about some mystical intangible benefit that's being provided, which coincidentally, can't be quantified in any way. You even have RM admitting to not wanting the "data" to have any role. And you wonder why other professionals think teachers are those that just couldn't hack it in a real job.

[Guest]

Does she wonder why people think she's a jerk? I always assumed she knew.

 

I would love to hear any better options on determining teacher performance.

[Cerina]

She knows, but she doesn't care.

 

The problem with using test scores to quantify teachers is that test scores can be influenced by a number of factors that are completely beyond the teacher's control. I don't have a better solution though.

[RelentlessMalice]

Here is the solution of how you can tell if I am an effective teacher.

 

1. Ask my students

2. Ask the parents

3. Judge me only on the standards and curriclum I teach, which means a "test" created to test only those standards I am responsible to teach.

4. Judge me on how the students I taught did on that test.

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen that is NOT what is happening right now. I am being judged and evaluated on things which are beyond my control in my classroom, and I am being judged on how students I do not even teach how they do in standardized tests.

 

If I only focus on DATA and ignore other details like teaching, planning, communicating with parents and students then it defeats the purpose for why I am in this business.

 

Furthermore we teachers unlike other jobs do not have the ability to ask for bonuses from our principals, and raises or cost of living step increases do not happen often. In other jobs employees have the ability to negotiate for a raise.

 

Lastly we teachers do not get to pick our students and we are stuck with what we get. Unlike other jobs where you can pick and chose clients.

 

Lets get back to the topic on why we need to cram so many damn state/district standardized tests down the throat of students causing them to hate school more.

[Ms. Spam]

I'm sorry but if you're a crappy teacher and haven't been fired yet, you've either not got an administration active in the learning process or parents who don't care or won't participate.

 

I'm evaluated constantly and get a review every year. My principal sits in my classroom and observes. A teachers raise is based on the district hired in and the last raise I received amounted to 300 extra dollars a year. For which my health insurance premium went up 450$.

[Ms. Spam]

She knows, but she doesn't care.

 

The problem with using test scores to quantify teachers is that test scores can be influenced by a number of factors that are completely beyond the teacher's control. I don't have a better solution though.

I was indeed meaning that CM knows she's a jerk and does not care.

 

And I find that if our raises are based on this test, we will simply cheat. Not a great incentivizer.

[RelentlessMalice]

Also here is what else is happening right now.

 

1. Teachers who have advanced learners in honors in AP classes have many students who have maxed out on their reading,writing and math scores, which means their scores cannot go up higher so they stay stagnant or they drop. What this means now for those teachers is the scores drop and makes to teacher evaluation go down.

 

Meanwhile a teacher teaches the bottom 25% of students have no where for their students to go but up and therefore teachers I know are REFUSING to teach advanced students. Plus teachers I know are backing out of elective classes like speech and debate because that elective has to have a end of coursr exam which the teachers evaluation is affected if the students dont do well or take it seriously.

 

Which brings me to my final point and that is the % of students who could care less about a test, or how about students who are ESE? Or students who are homeless, lack parental guidance, go hungry, do not test well etc...

 

By CM standards a Dentist should be assessed and paid on how few cavities or oral mouth problems patients have between dental checkups. The reality is the dentist cannot stop patients or control patients eating, drinking candy habits, or of they floss and brush their teeth.

 

That is the situation teachers are in. We are the dentist and the patients are the students.