Problems with Teacher Evaluations in Public Schools Essay

Teacher evaluations have been and continue to be under scrutiny. Major reform efforts are taking place to improve the process. Traditional teacher evaluations are no longer considered satisfactory. Such evaluations typically occur one or two times a year and are administered, in most cases, by the school principal. There are many reasons why traditional teacher evaluations are looked down upon. One of the reasons is because of the fact they are done so infrequently. Very little can be observed regarding the teaching and learning processes (O’Donovan, 2011). This can lead to a very unfair representation of a teacher’s performance since much of what a teacher can do, cannot be observed in one or two observations. It is also†¦show more content†¦Rubrics can be a powerful tool because they provide evaluators with a focus which assists in the implementation of uniform evaluations (Milanowski, 2011). As a result, evaluations are much more reliable and valid. It’s not enough, however, to have and use a rubric; an evaluator must be explicitly trained in their use and in the recognition of various levels of performance (Milanowski, 2011). If used correctly, rubrics will provide teachers with specific feedback regarding their practice and an administrator or evaluator can provide support, in the form of coaching, resources, or professional development, as needed. The use of rubrics makes evaluations less judgmental, like traditional evaluations, and assists in helping teachers better meet the needs of their students. Rubrics, although extremely important, are not the only factor in effective formal evaluations. As stated earlier, traditional classroom observations occur one or two times a year. To promote reliability, it is recommended that they occur with more frequency. An optimal evaluation would involve four to five formal classroom observations per year (Milanowski, 2011). 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