District Administration - May 2006 - (Page 67)

UNION ISSUES Rotten Apples When you have a problem with a mediocre teacher, what's easier: firing or turning them around? BY ANGELA PASCOPELLA Ever yone knows who the good Teachers don't want a bad teacher PU RPOSEF U LLY LEAVING a child teachers are and who the poor teach- teaching next door to them because stranded after a field trip a real ers are, says Indiana's Rossville it's bad for students. And if there occurrence is a blatant form of Consolidated School District Superin- is a bad teacher teaching second teacher incompetence. Having child tendent James W. Hanna. And if we grade ... then it's going to affect the pornography on a school computer can change that it's better for the kids third-grade teacher and fourth-grade a not her real event may also clearly and better for the teachers. teacher and so on. violate school policies, leaving a Somet i mes teachers are nudged Compa red to 10 or more years teacher in the hot seat. But just being out the door and sometimes they ago, there is more attention on a mediocre teacher is a more difficult are fi red but many times they are accountability on the part of entire issue for districts to handle. reformed. Here are some examples to districts from teachers to super- Getting rid of bad apples, or teach- ensure good teachers stay and not so i ntendent s, adds Joseph Cirasuolo, ers in this case, is not as difficult as it good teachers go. leadership development consultant might be perceived. Gone are the days at American Association of School when teachers, especially tenured Defining a Bad Teacher Administrators. teachers, glided through their careers Each state has a series of laws regard- But Hay says in this age of No unless there was something egregious. ing teacher tenure and termination, Child Left Behind mandates that Some people think that dismiss- which vary from state to state. administrators have too much on i ng a teacher with tenure is impos- Document, document, document, their plates as it is, and focusing sible, says LeRoy Hay, director of advises Gayden Carruth, AASA on evaluation processes has fallen. Alternate Route to Certification, superintendent in residence. Your The evaluation is a time-consuming Connecticut Department of Higher job is to document the conduct you piece, Hay adds. Education. It's not impossible. It's see. You can't just say you don't want But some districts are taking a just harder. this person working anymore. different tack. A few districts across It's not such a prohibitive subject, T he top three trouble spots for the U.S. have clear policies on how to adds Janet Bass of the American teachers that would lead them to be deal with new and tenured teachers Federation of Teachers. The fact is under review include incompetence; and how to help teachers ditch their that the AFT has been very involved insubordination; and committing an sloppy or lazy ways. in this for, gosh, 15 or 20 years ... May 2006 67 www.DistrictAdministration.com union.w.indd 67 4/14/06 11:04:51 AM http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2006

Contents
Editor's Letter
Listening In
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Sports & Civics
Q&A: Lessons for Tomorrow
Cover Story: Special Ed's Greatest Challenges and Solutions
Dome Sweet Dome
Smart Design
Rotten Apples
The Online Edge
Speaking Out
Principal Opinion
Public Opinion
Problem/Solution
Leadership Books
Laptop Roundup
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - May 2006