Teacher Selection

As a principal, I was successful at hiring good teachers who were also good fits. Of the staff I hired, more than 90% were great or fantastic. Of the rest, one continued to be pleasant and urbane but also a non-producer, one allowed her fundamental religious beliefs to take over in her third year and two or three others were just average. Only one was truly bad and I still believe it was spousal pressure which led to his dramatic performance failures.

My hiring successes were the result of the hiring process I followed.

Not the Board's business #3

Same thing, different story. A Board member forgets his role, involves himself in operational matters, and all ends up badly.

Value in teaching creative writing?

I know many colleagues disagree with me when I say I believe there is no value in "teaching" creative writing and lessons devoted to creative writing are not a good use of limited instructional time. Before you leave me and go to the next blog, please allow me to explain. I take this position because I do not believe creativity can be taught.

Teacher Pay Scales

I wrote earlier about a school's pay structure and was asked to explain it. The independent school's structure had three elements: a base salary, annual service increments, and responsibility stipends. The base salary was the same for all teachers and was high enough to be locally attractive. No extra was paid for qualifications and experience, an idea now gaining some currency. All hires had to have degrees and certification, even the preschool teachers, and four to ten years' experience. A teacher was hired to do a job, and his/her background, including qualifications and experience, suited him/her for that post.

One teacher's dislike of Common Core

I read today of teacher concerns over Common Core and was reminded of a teacher we hired a few years ago. Our independent school was rated 'A' in the state, and 'A' in math. "Jo" was a math specialist in a public school rated C/D for Math and wanted the opportunity to work in a high-performing department

Can a bad teacher be good?

I wrote elsewhere that bad teaching is more likely a leadership fault rather than a teacher's. I do believe in individual responsibility, and bad teaching may indeed be the result of a bad teacher. Equally, it may be the result of other factors, and a good leader will also consider these when making his/her evaluation.

Donations - cash or in kind?

Non-profit schools often receive donations of stuff. Sometimes they are things the donor no longer wants but sees value therein and does not want to throw away. Sometimes the donor sees a need and goes and buys something. Either way, the donor thinks s/he is doing good, but is it good for the school?

Not the Board's business #2

Board members too often cross the boundary from oversight and strategy into operational matters. The Board's concern must be limited only to whether an appropriate policy exists, and whether the policy is followed. What might happen when a Board member forgets this?

Are lesson observations worthwhile?

The prevailing orthodoxy is that the best way of assessing a teacher's performance, whether for appraisal or evaluation, is through observing him/her teaching. The idea is that the teacher provides a lesson plan according to state or district requirements for a pre-announced visit, often to a class and at a time chosen by that teacher. An impartial observer watches the lesson, and compares it both to the lesson plan and to some behavior-checklist which defines effective teaching. Post-lesson counseling then guides the teacher to some higher plane of practice. I disagree.

Board relationships

Another in my accidental series of Board misjudgments. A small independent school's elementary principal was having problems with a young, male and somewhat charismatic male teacher. "Joe" arrived late, did not plan, called vulnerable students names, failed to attend meetings. So the principal began to apply pressure.