Case
Administrative Evaluation Understanding

I am a teacher in a Magnet School of the Arts. I work in the Fine Arts Department. My evaluating administrator often gives me a Needs Improvement rating on Knowledge of Content. I am extremely knowledgeable about the subject I teach, and could not disagree more with her. I have spoken to her several times to ask what I need to do in order to receive a proficient in this category, and she cannot give me a definite answer. She says something to the extent of "I don't know much about your subject, but there has to be more to it." I have spoken to my principal about the matter, and his response is no better. He also states that he "doesn't know much about it either, and he'll try to find one who does to help me." What should I do in this situation, and how do I get them to understand that I know what I'm doing. My students show significant gains each year on the SLO Assessments, but that does not seem to be enough.

Posted on: 10/18/15 | Views: 931
Solution #1
Top Solution
If they are not knowledgeable about your subject matter maybe try uploading and submitting your standards to them with explanations about how you teach the content and what each standard means. Maybe this could provide some kind of reference to those who are evaluating you and may be helpful. If that doesn't help, I would attempt to seek help from someone higher. Honestly, their lack of understanding is not your fault and you should not be penalized for it. It is my belief that they should be familiar with your content and standards before evaluating you.

Your suggestion is perfect. I often feel the same amount of confusion from my own administrators because I teach Pre-K in the public school system. More often than not they do not know about or understand the expectations or standards involved with the Pre-k curriculum which can cause confusion. There needs to be understanding, and a knowledge base in order for an evaluator to make a judgement. Providing documentation and proof to support your teaching is an excellent idea.

You are totally right

Great solution to this problem! To expand a bit on this solution, I would recommend also pointing out the standards for each lesson being observed. The standards themselves act as evidence that there is a subject to be knowledgeable on.

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Solution #2
It might help to have the appropriate standards posted somewhere around the room and refer to them often when you are being observed, to show your observer that you are competent in the knowledge used to complete the standards. Also having the students respond to the appropriate standard with a small explanation may help the observer to realize that the students are learning the appropriate material.
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Solution #3
Is there another fine arts teacher that can help the administrators understand the content? Have you thought about asking for a peer teacher (even if in another school) to show them how the consent is appropriate for your lessons? Maybe if you educate them on your content, they will understand and know how knowledgeable you are in your content area.
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Solution #4
Is there district trainings in your area for your subject matter? Invite them to attend with you.
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