Well, it's getting to that time of the year when staff evaluations are due. Have you completed all of your classroom observations yet? Probably not which means that during the next few weeks you will be running around observing your senior, tenured teachers as these are the observations that are usually left for last. I'm certain that many of you are wondering about the value of this annual ritual.
For new teachers it is a time for you to evaluate their performance and make note of any corrective measures which needs to be instituted. In cases where you will be asking for a new teacher's resignation, the observation provides the rationale for your decision not to invite the individual back. It also provides a framework for improvement should the new teacher wish to continue his / her career in another district. It is important to remember that often times it's not that the person is a poor teacher, but instead it's just a bad fit.
While I don't believe that class room observations are the only criteria for evaluating your teaching staff, I do believe that it is one of many measures that should be considered. I'm of the opinion that as Principals, one of our primary responsibilities is to create the best instructional staff possible. Therefore, the decision as to which teachers we retain falls squarely on our shoulders. Whether it means asking an nontenured teacher to resign or beginning the paper trail to remove a tenured teacher, these responsibilities cannot be minimized.
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