How To Grade Our Schools:
Instead of standardized tests to decide how are schools are doing maybe we should take a page from the private sector. Instead of tests we need observations and feedback.
First teachers should be allowed to create their own lessons, homework (or no homework), tests, and grading scale. Allow teachers to teach they way they want and not how some beuracat wants them to teach. Teachers like professors in college will create a syllabus to give to their principals and parents.
1. State Observations: The state will have school auditors that will spend a week at a school. The will sit in classrooms, watch lessons, observe how the school is managed, and review teacher's syllabus. They will grade the school as a whole. That grade will account of 40% of the total grade for both the school and teachers. It will account for 50% of the principals and administration grade. Auditors will also provide feedback and a full report, so the school can improve where needed.
2. Local Observations: Principals and Vice Principals will do classroom observations with teachers. They will review the teachers syllabus. They should do a full day observation of each teacher and othet staff every 90 days. They will be required to fill out a report on each teachers and staff. This report will have a grading system. Each teacher and staff member will get a grade that will account for 40% of their total grade. Principals should also be giving coaching and feedback to teachers. These reports will not be secret as they will be shared with teachers to give them feedback. Teachers and staff will also do surveys on their Principals and administration and that will account for 30% of their grade.
3. Parents and Students Observations: Parents and Students should fill out serveys on their teachers and schools. Good teachers usually have happy parents and engages students, while bad teachers not so much. Parents and student serveys will be worth 10% each for both the teachers grade and the schools grade.
Every year these grades will determine what schools, teachers, and administration are doing well and which need to be improved. Private and Charter schools will have to participate if they want to get school voucher funding. Those schools and teachers that are failing will be helped to improve or replaced if they can't improve. Those that are succeeding will be rewarded. The purpose is to allow great teachers and schools to be great by doing it how they want to do it.
This is how it is done in business. We observe and get feedback through our superiors, co-workers, and customers.
