• Blaming of others – Typical targets include teachers, parents, students, poverty, and a (fake) lack of money.
• Deceitful presentation of student outcomes – They’ll speak glowingly of some stray statistic that supposedly shows them in a slightly more positive light, but which also depends on the public not knowing the entire truth of it.
• Astonishing ignorance or accidental honesty. Sometimes the truth comes out of them – in shocking or comical ways.
• Requests for more money, on the heels of low student achievement. As pass rates go down, the expense per student continues to increase.
• New policy that will serve their ulterior purpose, but which will make life more difficult for students, parents and teachers.

And so it went, at two recent gatherings for Spokane Public Schools. Teachers were blamed. Administrators praised themselves. The superintendent’s comments caused a stir. And the school board voted to increase class sizes and cut 90 teachers.

• Teachers had the freedom to teach and supplement as they deem necessary
• Teachers weren’t constantly pulled out of classrooms for non-academic activities
• Teachers’ professional development contained real content
• The district’s choice of instructional materials were sufficient and dependable
• Principals had the freedom to allot money, modify curriculum, and hire and fire as they see fit.

At the CAC meeting, I asked: Do these new evaluations mean that teachers will gain academic freedom? I received three different answers from the same administrator.

• Staci Vesneske said teachers might be awarded that freedom if they hit the top tier of the evaluation system. (Answer #1)
• I asked, What if they need that freedom in order to hit the top tier? She said teachers already have academic freedom. (Answer #2)
• I persisted: Will teachers gain academic freedom? She said it will all come down to collective bargaining. (Answer #3)

Later, I asked: Will principals gain the freedom to allot money, hire and fire, and modify the curriculum? Dr. Vesneske didn’t fully answer this question, saying only that the board makes all decisions on curriculum and supplementary materials.

All school employees should be assessed based on achievable, measurable goals. Considering the heavy boot our administrators place on district employees, it seems fair that upper-level administrators be assessed partly on student outcomes. (If they were, most would be fired.) Our superintendent’s own evaluation is done by the school board. Our board directors use a “summative evaluation” form for her that is so general and vague, their evaluation must be based largely on opinion.

• Weird. The state always said the percentage of teachers’ evaluation that would be based on student outcomes would be just a small part of the total assessment. Fifty percent doesn’t seem small.
• But Dr. Stowell said Washington State isn’t “going in that direction,” anyway, so she’s trying to work in the 50% herself, by bargaining with the teachers union.

 
Rogers, L. (April 2011). “Good golly, our schools desperately need new leadership.” Retrieved (date) from the Betrayed Web site: http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/