What Does the Increasing Rate of Teacher U Ratings Mean? Has the Teacher Quality Bar Moved Up, or Are Principals Less Competent and More Vindictive? Teacher Quality and Ratings Must Be Carefully Studied.

 As reported in Gotham Schools the number/percent of unsatisfactory ratings handed out to teachers has increased, a little.

 

Not surprisingly the post resulted in a long string of comments.

 

Teachers serve a three year probationary period, if they receive a U (Unsatisfactory) rating the principal can also “discontinue” the teacher … fire the teacher. By DOE regulation and UFT Contract, that are unchanged for decades, the teacher receives a review before a tri partite panel that makes a recommendation to the chancellor. In the vast percent of cases the “discontinuance” is sustained.

 

Tenured teachers are also rated annually, either S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory). U rating appeal hearings begin in the late fall. The U rating process is spelled out in detail … the principal must provide documents, letters in the file, observation reports, etc., for each area in which the teacher was rated unsatisfactory. The teacher can respond in writing. At the appeal meeting a union advocate represents the teacher, questions may be asked of the supervisors who were involved in the process, there are decades of case law. A single hearing officer hears the case and either upholds the appeal or sustains the rating. Once again, most U ratings are sustained.

 

The only impact of the rating is that the teachers salary step is frozen. Teachers can chose to apply for the Peer Intervention Program.

 

Tenured teachers can be “brought up on charges” under the State Ed Law, and performance, documents etc., over the prior three years are admissible.

 

Why have the number/percent of U ratings increased? Are the percents, about 2%, high, or low?

 

1. In the mid 90′s 17% of teachers were uncertified and the vacancies exceeded the job applicants. Substantial increases in salary, state requirements that all teachers must be certified and highly selective programs (i.e., Teaching Fellow and Teach For America) have resulted in many, many more applicants for each vacancy. Has the bar risen? Has the definition of satisfactory moved up the scale? We don’t know.

 

2. The DOE provides greater technology and support to principals (Teacher Performance Unit ) in the rating process. The ready access to the probationary status of teachers and the support in the paperwork process eases the rating process for the supervisor.

 

3. Leadership Academy principals, anecdotally, are giving more U ratings. Is it because they have made poor hiring choices? Or, is it their inability to work with senior teachers? Did they simply have higher standards? What does an increasing rate of U ratings mean for a school? Do schools with higher rates of U ratings also have greater transfer rates? Do numbers/percents of U ratings correlate to pupil achievement? Negatively or positively? Can the performance of a teacher be satisfactory in one school and the same performance unsatisfactory in another school?

 

4. How are professional development and teacher evaluation linked? Do principals demonstrate specific teaching skills to teachers? Are principals also master teachers? Do teachers have the ability to watch other teachers? Discuss practice with colleagues? As “critical friends,” are teachers offered the opportunity to observe and comment on colleagues performance? Do teachers participate in a peer review process?

 

5. In high U rating schools, perhaps 5% or more, how have the ratings impacted student performance?

 

6. Why have 20 year plus teachers received U ratings?  To show the staff “who’s in charge,” have the senior teacher skills eroded, retribution on the part of the principal, pushback to a principal who has higher standards resulting in conflict and retributive ratings?

 

While DOE press releases pat themselves on the back, looking at the increasing number/rate of U ratings as a positive … are they? Or, does it point to the inadequacy of newer principals?

 

Teacher quality is irrevocably linked to pupil performance. Hopefully every “entering class” of teachers is more qualified than the previous class, but, how can we assure that each year, each teacher, be it a first year or a veteran is getting better, is upgrading their skills?

 

What goes on in the classroom is at the core of education, unfortunately we are not taking that close look at teacher performance … just looking at “S” versus “U” ratings is a disservice to students and teachers.