Schools

LETTER: Early Release Days a Huge Step Forward for District

Former school committee member and longtime science teacher Jim Dillon weighs in on debate over early release days.

I was surprised to learn that some parents are against the early release days that have been negotiated by the School Committee and the teachers. I believe that the Committee was able to take a huge step forward for the district.

The methods by which teachers and administrators are evaluated are radically changing.  In the past, most teachers were evaluated every other year in a system that consisted of the teacher inviting the principal or department head to observe a class.  New Massachusetts laws, created to comply with federal “Race to the Top” legislation, will require major changes in the way teachers are evaluated.  Teachers will have to create specific measurable job targets.  They will be required to have professional practice and student growth goals.  These goals will have to be approved by administrators and evaluations will happen every year.

Working together, or in groups, teachers will have to create products that demonstrate that they are making progress toward reaching goals. Teachers will be required to collect student work products that demonstrate growth.  For example, a department head or principal could request to see examples of a student’s writing from September, November, and February.  Improvement must be demonstrated and the results will become part of that teacher’s evaluation.  In subjects where students take MCAS tests, the Department of Education will set specific student improvement targets.  Individual students must improve from year to year.  These results will also be included in teacher and administrator evaluations.

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Data analysis among teachers and administrators to measure progress toward goals will be important.  Students’ work samples and portfolios will have to be kept and used for evaluating the effectiveness of teachers and administrators.  This new system will require collaborative planning. Time must be built in for teams of teachers and administrators to create grade level or subject specific district assessments for the purpose of assessing performance.

I understand that the early release day every other week will require that parents scramble a bit with day care.  But the benefits of providing this time vastly outweigh the costs.  This is about improving the education that the students receive.  The Wednesday early release days will provide the necessary time for administrators and teachers to do meaningful work.  Meeting every other week will keep learning and performance on the front burner.  Some parents have suggested meeting once a month for a longer time.  That would have the effect of pushing accountability to the back burner and making individual student growth less of a focus.

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Analyzing student performance, creating district assessments, evaluating teacher work products, looking at examples of student work to assess growth, and sharing feedback on the frequent unannounced classrooms observations that will be required are just a few of the new requirements that can be addressed.  Who will benefit most from this time?  The Kids

I congratulate Dr. Jefferson and the School Committee for achieving a great win for every student in Lynnfield. 


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