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Ohio Teachers Chatboard

OTES -- Will it go away??

by Sick of this

Dec 11, 2015

Hello...I'm a mid-career teacher. I love teaching, and I'm not sick of students and the profession. However, I am sick of OTES, data tracking...and everything that takes my time and attention away from my job...teaching.

Is OTES ever going to go away? I've heard veterans say that no policy lasts forever in education...however...the pendulum never seems come back...everything is just becoming more and more cumbersome.

Disillusioned in Ohio Asking myself the same question. OTES is such a crock. I worked my butt off 2 years ago to document EVERYTHING. Every artifact, an 8 page unit plan, pages of answers to the pre-conference questions....all just to get the stupid accomplished rating (so I could take a year off from it.) Although I was ultimately given an accomplished rating that firs...See MoreAsking myself the same question. OTES is such a crock. I worked my butt off 2 years ago to document EVERYTHING. Every artifact, an 8 page unit plan, pages of answers to the pre-conference questions....all just to get the stupid accomplished rating (so I could take a year off from it.) Although I was ultimately given an accomplished rating that first year, I was dinged on my very first evaluation because my objectives were in the wrong "place" in my lesson plan, and my objectives were not STATED as 'measurable.' They were measurable mind you.... The students will demonstrate, create, etc." but because they weren't written as a SMART goal I was dinged. I now put in some BS "80&37; of students will.... yada yada" and magically I've written a good objective. What do I do if 80&37; of the students do not meet my objective? Um, well nothing. But somehow stating it in there makes me accomplished. And how do I pick the magic 80&37; number? Who knows! Just sounds like a good round number, and since it's there.... written down, I'm good.

20 years writing objectives, 8 principals reading and approving them over the years, and suddenly the wording is wrong. My colleague was observed this past week by different administrator, didn't turn in a lesson plan, or pre- conference questions, and had no idea how to write an 'I can" statement and got an accomplished rating. Bing, bam, boom. Just like that.

So here I am again, today, writing my lesson plan (not in a way that is going to suit my needs but so it suits the OTES rubric) writing up pages of answers to pre-conference questions so I can explain each and every detail of the unit, scanning exit tickets, rubrics, artifact after artifact to prove that I'm doing the things I say I'm doing, just to prove I'm a good teacher. Even though every teacher, student and administrator in the district knows I'm a good teacher. My kids produce beautiful work (I'm an art teacher btw---good Lord this is not what I signed up for) and I am especially effective motivating at-risk students.

It is such a ridiculous waste of time, energy and resources and in the end is just as "biased" and unfair as the old system when my principal would walk in for 5 minutes, observe me and say "you're good.... I know what kind of teacher you are." and write me up a perfect review.

My daughter wants to be a teacher and I have done everything I can to discourage it, and THAT I can't believe. 5 years ago I loved my job and really felt like I was making a difference in the lives of kids. Now I spend my time at worthless meetings discussing the 5 step process and charting my student's art scores and analyzing the data with teachers who don't even teach my subject area. WHAT is going on????? Will someone stop the insanity?

Jan 23, 2016

KatieNK Wow that sounds awful. I'm a teacher from Delaware considering moving to Ohio and now I am scared!

Aug 17, 2016

Ugh... On 1/23/16, Disillusioned in Ohio wrote: > Asking myself the same question. OTES is such a crock. I > worked my butt off 2 years ago to document EVERYTHING. > Every artifact, an 8 page unit plan, pages of answers to the > pre-conference questions....all just to get the stupid > accomplished rating (so I could take a year off from it....See MoreOn 1/23/16, Disillusioned in Ohio wrote: > Asking myself the same question. OTES is such a crock. I > worked my butt off 2 years ago to document EVERYTHING. > Every artifact, an 8 page unit plan, pages of answers to the > pre-conference questions....all just to get the stupid > accomplished rating (so I could take a year off from it.) > Although I was ultimately given an accomplished rating that > first year, I was dinged on my very first evaluation because > my objectives were in the wrong "place" in my lesson plan, > and my objectives were not STATED as 'measurable.' They > were measurable mind you.... The students will demonstrate, > create, etc." but because they weren't written as a SMART > goal I was dinged. I now put in some BS "80&37; of students > will.... yada yada" and magically I've written a good objective. > What do I do if 80&37; of the students do not meet my > objective? Um, well nothing. But somehow stating it in there > makes me accomplished. And how do I pick the magic 80&37; > number? Who knows! Just sounds like a good round number, > and since it's there.... written down, I'm good. > > 20 years writing objectives, 8 principals reading and > approving them over the years, and suddenly the wording is > wrong. My colleague was observed this past week by > different administrator, didn't turn in a lesson plan, or pre- > conference questions, and had no idea how to write an 'I can" > statement and got an accomplished rating. Bing, bam, boom. > Just like that. > > So here I am again, today, writing my lesson plan (not in a > way that is going to suit my needs but so it suits the OTES > rubric) writing up pages of answers to pre-conference > questions so I can explain each and every detail of the unit, > scanning exit tickets, rubrics, artifact after artifact to prove > that I'm doing the things I say I'm doing, just to prove I'm a > good teacher. Even though every teacher, student and > administrator in the district knows I'm a good teacher. My > kids produce beautiful work (I'm an art teacher btw---good > Lord this is not what I signed up for) and I am especially > effective motivating at-risk students. > > It is such a ridiculous waste of time, energy and resources > and in the end is just as "biased" and unfair as the old system > when my principal would walk in for 5 minutes, observe me > and say "you're good.... I know what kind of teacher you are." > and write me up a perfect review. > > My daughter wants to be a teacher and I have done > everything I can to discourage it, and THAT I can't believe. 5 > years ago I loved my job and really felt like I was making a > difference in the lives of kids. Now I spend my time at > worthless meetings discussing the 5 step process and > charting my student's art scores and analyzing the data with > teachers who don't even teach my subject area. WHAT is > going on????? Will someone stop the insanity? > > > >

yesterday, 2016

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