Applies to tenure decisions
By: David Dankwa
MONTGOMERY — Nontenured teachers could soon be evaluated on a new rating system, which would determine whether they will be rehired after three years with the township district.
Under the new system, “effective,” “improvement needed” and “unsatisfactory” would be the standards by which teachers are evaluated at the end of each nontenured year, according to Chris Manno, director of curriculum and instruction for math and science.
Mr. Manno, who also chaired the Standards Committee that developed the new system, said the committee agreed that all teachers should be expected to receive an “effective” rating in instruction by the end of the second year and an “effective” rating in all other categories at the end of the third year. Other categories are professional growth, professional responsibility and community contributions.
“If after two years you’re not effective, you shouldn’t be here,” Dr. Jamie Savedoff, superintendent of schools, said at the May 8 meeting of the Board of Education, where the system was presented.
Dr. Savedoff added that, by law, it’s the superintendent, and not the school board, that has final decision on teacher contracts. The board can, however, hear grievances and reject the superintendent’s decision, he said.
Although he would not give the actual number, Mr. Manno said the percentage of teachers who are not renewed each year is “very low.”
“If it’s a teacher we’re concerned about, chances are he or she has been observed in the classroom more than five times during the course of the year,” he said. “That final evaluation is the sum total of a yearlong process of observation.”
Dr. Savedoff said the Montgomery Township Educators Association has to endorse the committee’s recommendations before it takes effect. Mr. Manno said members of the MTEA on the Standards Committee agreed to the final recommendation.
“I think it’s fair to assume the MTEA agrees with our recommendation,” Mr. Manno said.
Numerous calls to MTEA President Karen Vail were not returned.
Mr. Manno said the Standards Committee was formed in 1998 to revise renewal standards and it developed the new system to:
• Communicate expectations and benchmarks to new teachers in striving toward attaining tenure;
• Provide administrators with guidance and a focus for discussion when making renewal recommendations to the superintendent.
At present, teachers are evaluated by supervisors who use a narrative form.
In addition to the new rating policy, the district is proposing a pilot teacher portfolio program next year. Teachers would develop their own portfolio over the course of the year and administrators would use the portfolio in making their final evaluations.