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Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, February 28, 1996, Page 7 . ele w r' w- w Evaluating teachers Cutbacks te education totalling perhaps as much as a billion dollars have been promised by the end of this month. IIow the government intends te do this we don't know: just wait -and see. I predict'that seme of the cutbacks will be gouged out of teachers in pay, sick leave, vacat 'ions. These are tempting targets, of course, but they're also grossly unfair. lI this matter, I must declare conflict of interest. I arn currently an educational administrator, not an easy task at any time. I have been teacher, both elementary and college level; I have a sizeable cumulation of sick days. Balancing this, I have some 30 years as a parent with children in school.1 .Given the temper of our times, politicians are sorely tempted t» give way t» teacher-bashing. Let's focus on only one issue today: teacher evaluation. A discussion paper li Manitoba, for example, calîs into question how boards evaluate teacher performance. Itfs a com plex question. Union contracta govern pay scales for most teachers. Starting salaries are locked li, regular annual pay raises are the norm, and the teacher with the most degrees and special certificates usually climbs to the top of the scale. Critics point out that this rewards survival, not good teaching. Bad teachers get raises along with mediocre and superb coll eagues. Suppose for a moment we could agree that we reward ~ copetncy, "àd- punish (and ultimately fire) poor teachers. Good. Now we've agreed on that, let us consider how t» adminster such a systemn. Everybody knows who the good teachers are, don't they? Well, yes, maybe. Here we may debate a little. Students generally will appreciate a good teacher over a poor one. On the other hand, student input may often confuse popularity with good teaching. Three groups often do gain a fairly accurate appraisal cf a teacher's value without setting one foot inside the door. These include: administrators, school staff (including other teachers) and parents. However, I'11 leave to the reader to assess the fairness of evaluation done by people eutside the classroom. That leaves one to, assume, that the best method cf evaluating a teacher lies in going to the classroomn and watching what goes on. Perhaps. You couldseapo teacher performing that one polished lesson in his repertoire, or a good teacher on a really bad day (or simply nervous and overstressed). Good teaching grows not eut cf one excellent lesson. Good teaching is a series cf good lessons, created by a teacher who knows beth the subject and the students. Good teaching exista more in deviations from the plan than slavish devotien ta it. An inspecter at the back cf the classroom dees net encourage that kind cf creatavity. Somejurisdictiens in the U.S. new evaluate teachers on student performance. What a wonderful plan! Ail you have ta do firt is decide what you want the teacher te teach. But remember: teachers will teach the test, net the child. Pupils may know their number facts, but cannot solve fr-esh problems. How s'ad. (I grew up li such a system. veythig new *9 old again.) Because evaluatien defies easy analysis, however, does net mean we can't do better. However, li my 30 years I've encountered. more incompetent parenté than teachers. Experts estimate that fromn 15 te 20 per cent cf students arrive at sehool ialready carrying some impediment to learning. It is unfair te expect teachers t-o solve ail Y ES...... RvECREATION HALL, WBITBY MENTAL EALTH CENTR, C. 1920 This recreation hall was buiît in 1917* specifically for the soldiers when the hospital was a military convalescent centre during the Firet World War. It was officially opened on Aug. 31, 1917 by Canada's Governor-General, the. Duke of Devonshire. Upstairs la a theatro and downstairs are a canteen and bowling ailey. Whtby Mental Boulth GCotre Archives photo 10 YEARS AGO from the Wednesday, February 26, 1986 edition of the wiirmy FRIM PRESS * The $6 million expansion of Iroquois Park waa defeated by one vote at the town council meeting on Feb. 24. * Busing for French Immersion students la a problem for the Durham Board of Education. * The Whitby and Vaughan Rotary Clubs are hoping to collect 50,000 toys for cblidren li Brazilian slums. *IGA stores are selling fresh chickens- for 89 cents a pound. 35 YEARS AGO fromn the Thursday, February 23, 1961 edition of the WIUTBY WEEVKY NEWS " Town Council will conduct a study of the town police commlsslon's spendlng. " The town's parka committee wants the help of the school board in providlng chlldren's playground areas. 9 The Dr. Robert Thornton Home and School association la celebratinm its 25th aniversary. Mrs. Alex Ciraigie ia president. " The Chamber of Commerce is conducting a study of a proposed downtown mail. 100 YEARS AGO from the Friday, February 28, 1896 edition of the WHfMlTBCRONICLE " The Myrtie Public School was cloaed last week because of a severe storm. " A postoffice le, to be opened.at Myrtle Station on March 1 with William G., Armour as postmaater. *The Whitby Collegiate Institute Literary-Society held a debate: "Resolved that the stuidy of Classlca la entitled to as important a place in the high achool course as the study off Science." *Joel Bigelow, a former storekeeper in Whltby'who moved to Chicago in 1864, died on jFeb. il at the age of 67.