Re: Bullying through teacher evaluation

Ellen

Posted on 5/14/11

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On 4/04/11, ja wrote:
> I would like to know what the outcome was in regards to
> the bullying by
> admins. I have seen this "bullying" used by
> admins. They love to go by the book of Harry Wong. It
> is based on the theories of BF Skinner. Unfortunately
> we are not lab rats but the Bell Work, move in unison
> to a stated timeframe methods are very popular in the
> West. Typical also that the admin does not see this as
> "bullying" but the current evaluation
> processes are very biased and the evaluators usually
> don't know anything about the real deal when it comes
> to teaching.
>
> On 12/19/10, one more suggestion wrote:
>> make sure you are giving students some kind of bell
>> work assignment - a simple task they have to complete
>> as soon as they enter the room, and that you are
>> grading it. that will motivate them to get started
>> quickly. another thing I do is to use a timer and let
>> the students know "you have X minutes, the timer
>> is on." i don't like it, it feels regimented and
>> is not my style at all, but when the administration
>> is picking you apart you have to protect yourself. I
>> also told my students that they were not allowed
>> under any circumstances to get out of their seats
>> without permission - ridiculous. But I was dinged for
>> "three students out of their seats" during
>> my last evaluation. Actually I told them they could
>> get up to get a tissue without requesting permission,
>> but for no other reason. And these are middle school
>> kids who often have a hard time sitting. It's just
>> stupid - if it isn't disrupting anything to let them
>> walk to the trash can, what is the problem? Sometimes
>> the request is more disruptive than the behavior. But
>> I'm not allowed to make that call. :(
>>
>> On 12/19/10, happening to me, too wrote:
>>> Cosmo,
>>>
>>> I'm a tenured teacher but this is my first year at
>>> a new school and I'm having similar problems. Does
>>> your district have a published rubric for teaching
>>> standards/evaluations? I wrote a response to my
>>> evaluation in which I took apart the admin's
>>> evaluation by using her own observations to show
>>> that I met the rubric for "basic" or
>>> higher performance. If you are allowed to attach a
>>> response to the evaluation you need to do so. In my
>>> district you only have 10 working days to make your
>>> response. My admin actually told me in the
>>> post-eval conference that she feels that
>>> performance that meets "basic" standards
>>> still merits a "needs improvement"
>>> rating! I took my response to the union, and they
>>> are preparing to take it to the director of HR with
>>> a request for an investigation, reconsideration of
>>> the "needs improvement" rating, an
>>> outside evaluator for all future observations, and
>>> that the admin be retrained on how to do
>>> evaluations. This hasn't happened yet, and I'm sure
>>> that when the admin finds out about it things are
>>> going to get even worse. Obviously I have no way of
>>> knowing how much success the union is going to
>>> have. Unfortunately, what choice do I have? Like
>>> your admin, mine is trying to ruin my career.
>>>
>>> If your district has these rubrics, you need to get
>>> them and study them carefully. If you have a
>>> pre-observation conference, bring the rubrics and
>>> ask your admin to indicate exactly what they need
>>> to see for you to meet expectations. Also find out
>>> if you can have another teacher present during the
>>> observation, it's always good to have a witness.
>>> Can you videotape your observation lesson? That can
>>> also be very helpful.
>>>
>>> Likewise, read your contract carefully and make
>>> sure you understand all of the language regarding
>>> evaluations. If you have any questions, go back to
>>> your union. If they can't or won't help you, talk
>>> to a lawyer now, before the next observation so you
>>> are sure you know your rights.
>>>
>>> Does your school have a union building rep? If so,
>>> talk to them ASAP. See if you can do a survey of
>>> the staff regarding evaluation practices (can be
>>> done anonymously) that may show if you are being
>>> singled out, or if they are doing this to many
>>> teachers - either way it is good information to
>>> have.
>>>
>>> I'm sorry that it's true that you may not get
>>> re-elected next year; even if your next evaluations
>>> are stellar they can punt you for no reason at all.
>>> With this in mind, it is very important that you
>>> establish your own paper trail. I can't emphasize
>>> this enough. If the admins do informal walk-through
>>> observations make sure you document each and every
>>> time they come in and what the class was doing when
>>> they were there. CYA!
>>>
>>> Stay strong, and know that you are not alone. This
>>> is happening to many teachers in many districts.
>>> Best of luck to you!
>>>
>>> On 12/19/10, Cosmo wrote:
>>>> Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I have
>>>> been offered an additional evaluation (same
>>>> administrator) to correct the areas of "not
>>>> meeting standards" from the previous
>>>> evaluation. I did speak with union reps from the
>>>> local and statewide unions and was told that as a
>>>> probationary teacher in California I am an
>>>> "at will" employee, meaning that they
>>>> don't have to have a reason to non- reelect a
>>>> person. Given these conditions, they suggested
>>>> that I do all I can to endear myself to
>>>> administration and hope for the best. Hopefully,
>>>> the second evaluation will be met with a higher
>>>> rating. If not, I will pursue legal counsel.
>>>> Incidentally, I learned from a colleague at the
>>>> school that other teachers had gotten downgraded
>>>> for the 3 minute infraction (by other
>>>> administrators) which leads me to believe that
>>>> the issue may be more systemic in nature. Some
>>>> conclude that these kind of negative evaluations
>>>> are deliberate, preemptive strikes to establish a
>>>> paper trail in case they want to get rid of a
>>>> teacher down the road. Thanks again, Cosmo
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> How sad and unfortunate, but how very typical.
>>>> "Leadership" in
>>>>> the public schools has taken a nose dive during
>>>>> the last
>>>> several
>>>>> years. Too many administrators have no grasp of
>>>>> what it
>>>> is to
>>>>> be in the classroom, most probably because they
>>>>> haven't been there themselves in eons or became
>>>>> administrators after only a year or two as a
>>>>> teacher. That last scenario is becoming
>>>> more
>>>>> and more commonplace in North Carolina. So many
>>>>> young teachers come south to teach in our
>>>>> schools, find the pay is terrible or the
>>>>> working conditions unfavorable, and they go
>>>>> into administration after a very short time in
>>>>> the "trenches."
>>>> They
>>>>> lack both the classroom experience and the life
>>>>> experience to really be competent.
>>>>>
>>>>> I would ask the same question that the poster
>>>>> before me did. Do you belong to a union or a
>>>>> teacher association? If you do and it is an
>>>>> effective organization (unlike our useless
>>>>> NCAE), then they should be able to help you in
>>>>> this matter. This administrator is clearly out
>>>>> of bounds on this, particularly if you can
>>>>> counter what they said with evidence and/or
>>>>> artifacts that refute the evaluation. It would
>>>>> seem to me that you have real cause for legal
>>>>> action if this puts your job security in
>>>>> jeopardy

I can vouch for similar experiences in the Baltimore area
of Maryland. Unions often times are in cahoots with the
district and only maintain a facade of support, unless you
get a strong union representative that will really go to
bat for the teachers. You know when they are supporting
you and when they are playing both sides. It is one thing
to tell you the "reality picture" with the contract and
the district, but quite another to give you 100% genuine
support. What I also find is that sometimes they have a
different way of "interpreting" what is in the contract
and you might have to file the grievance on your own. In
my case I even have had to hire a lawyer. It is really
pointless for me to comment about the principal and the
district. They are all part of the bullying process.
Last year, I had full support of an assistant
superintendent who told the principal in no uncertain
terms there should be no "toxic work environment" at the
school and that she was responsible for everything that
happened in the building. He also reminded her that her
behavior was expected to be "professional" at all times.
I was in the meeting and she looked like a dog with her
tail between her legs. Then they moved this assistant
superintendent to another area in the district. Now he is
going to another state to be a superintendent. I wish I
were in his school system. He will not tolerate
bullying. I have heard that our overall superintendent is
a micromanager and into the whole "power" thing; the old-
fashioned top down management style. It appears asa
though most school systems are in the dark ages when it
comes to the more contemporary and progressive management
styles of servant leadership, facilitating the development
of staff, etc.

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