PrintAugust 5, 2010
Another Silly Education Fad
I am a conservative and a public school teacher. There are a few of us. I became a teacher after a stint in the Army JAG Corps and eleven years of private practice as an attorney. When I switched careers, I was a partner in a well-regarded Maryland law firm. I made good money, and like any partner in a law firm, my performance (and those of my partners) dictated success and income. As a teacher, I've been evaluated much like I was in the Army, by a supervisor who observes my work and provides a mostly boilerplate rating at the end of the year. In the Army, almost all officers are rated highly (an officer with even an "average" rating is a complete flop.) In my school system, teachers are rated as "satisfactory," "in need of improvement," or "unsatisfactory." Needless to say, an overwhelming number of teachers earn a satisfactory rating, even though, as in any such system, some should not. In the view of many, those teachers who slip...(Read Full Article)
