Central Falls Rhode Island Fires Every High School Teacher

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by nmap

If you want to learn more about student satisfaction, that's fine. So the teacher is nice, tells some good jokes, grades gently and is always understanding about missed due dates. That will get the satisfaction scores up, and will do so consistently.

It depends upon how you design your questionnaire, how committed you are to improving your skill set as an educator, and how seriously you take your students.

Originally Posted by nmap

But are they learning? Is the teacher taking those students to the upper edge of their potential? The students are not qualified to say, are they?

IMO, if you interact with your students, they'll send you clear indications of their progress through improved performance and increased effort.

I think you should take another look at this question. IMO, it strikes at the heart of the dissatisfaction you've expressed with teaching on this BB. If you really believe that students are not qualified to evaluate themselves, then the next question is: What tools are you providing them to do so?

[dennisw]

Sigaba wrote

Before putting on lab coats and designing research projects, why not just make a practice of distributing feedback questionnaires to students after each and every class and then reading the answers? And/or insist that students come to a teacher's office hours to talk?

I believe this highlighted part or your suggestion was in the same spirit as what the superintendent in the instant case was suggesting.

if they rejected the six conditions Gallo said were crucial to improving the school. The conditions are adding 25 minutes to the school day, "providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer.

It would be interesting to hear directly from the teachers in question about their thoughts related to the change.

Gallo’s first choice, the “transformation” model, was consistent with her conditions on how to improve the high school. But if the teachers would not agree, the superintendent said she would select her second choice, the “turnaround” model, which requires the removal of the entire staff of the school. The turnaround model allows the district to hire back no more than 50 percent of the old staff.

I for one would love to see what comprised the other models. In the turnaround model, I would think the teachers (50%) who retain their jobs will be a little more open to change.

[dennisw]

Originally Posted by Richard

And that is one of a teacher's most essential job requirements, to help their students recognize and then work together to overcome whatever it is that is inhibiting their ability to do their part as best they can.

I hired and fired teachers based on:

• successfully demonstrated educational track record
• student, parent and peer feedback, and personal on-going observation
• positive attitude towards teaching, students, families, peers, and school's mission
• expertise in the subject matter being taught
• experience in and knowledge of our school's mission
• acceptable personal behavior and work ethic
• willingness to learn

Richard

Your criteria appears to be not only reasonable, but pretty straight forward. In your particular case was there a teacher's union involved and if so, did you get a lot of resistance when you fired a teacher? Also, was documenting the shortcomings of the teachers a paperwork nightmare?

[Richard]

Originally Posted by dennisw

Your criteria appears to be not only reasonable, but pretty straight forward. In your particular case was there a teacher's union involved and if so, did you get a lot of resistance when you fired a teacher? Also, was documenting the shortcomings of the teachers a paperwork nightmare?

There was no union and the paperwork for both the academic records of the students and the performance of the faculty and administration were kept to an agreed upon reasonable level within state and national guidelines.

If we let a teacher go, there were definite reasons and it received faculty advisory committe support as well.

Richard

[nmap]

Originally Posted by Richard

[COLOR="Lime"]And that is one of a teacher's most essential job requirements, to help their students recognize and then work together to overcome whatever it is that is inhibiting their ability to do their part as best they can.

Seems entirely reasonable. I really can't see why anyone would disagree with your hire/fire approach.

Originally Posted by Sigaba

IMO, if you interact with your students, they'll send you clear indications of their progress through improved performance and increased effort.

Some will. Some won't.

The ones that will aren't the problem - and there are ample resources to support those willing to invest a little time and effort.

There are others who simply will not do so. YMMV.

Originally Posted by Sigaba

I think you should take another look at this question. IMO, it strikes at the heart of the dissatisfaction you've expressed with teaching on this BB. If you really believe that students are not qualified to evaluate themselves, then the next question is: What tools are you providing them to do so?

Well, let's see...we could try giving them grades. Uninflated grades.

Seriously, that's the purpose of grading - tell the individual what's working and what isn't working, and suggest ways to improve. Ideally, point out resources to help them get there.

A few proceed in a positive direction - and many do not. Yet a variety of pressures tend to compromise the process. Please understand that I am not criticizing the institutional goals, considering the practical need for funding - but there are (MOO, YMMV) long term consequences.

And, too, everyone is doing it. (How's that for an excuse?). The school that uses grading as it was originally designed - C is average, B is good, and A is rare, D is poor and has about the same frequency as a B, with F failing and roughly the same frequency as an A - has a fairly effective feedback tool. A "C" student is average - and the lost points suggests areas in need of improvement. But, practically speaking, grades have shifted up - and competitive pressures keep everyone in line.

Now about self-diagnosing students...I've known 2. Both professors, BTW - who were friends and spoke of their actions decades ago. It seems they went to the problems at the end of the chapter in their textbook and worked them. On their own. Not for extra credit - but, rather, for the pure desire to learn. Those problems are still available at the end of the chapters. Out of thousands of students (yes, literally) I have not heard of one that used them. Oh, well. No doubt they were just too modest to mention it.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by dennisw

did you get a lot of resistance when you fired a teacher? Also, was documenting the shortcomings of the teachers a paperwork nightmare?

If there was "resistance" Richard always had mandatory orienteering conferencing/mentoring/counseling session.

Two went out, one got "lost". Documentation? How tough is a missing person report?