Assignment: Reflection on Evaluation and Compensation

As we near the final modules in this course, we have read about many topics in human resources. During this module we are reading about evaluation and compensation. For reflection during the module, we will consider evaluation, and another good topic to consider is the idea of compensation. 

You will submit a maximum 3-page reflection after reading through each step of this task.

You have explored more about performance evaluation systems for educators, especially in regard to a value-added model, or VAM.  In Louisiana, a teacher's performance evaluation is comprised of Professional Practice (50%) and Measures of Growth in Student Learning (50%).  For VAM teachers, in the category of Measures of Growth in Student Learning, value-added accounts for 35% of the evaluation, with Student Learning Targets (SLTs) accounting for 15% of the evaluation.  For non-VAM teachers, SLTs account for the entirety of Measures of Growth in Student Learning.  The overall evaluation is used to make decisions about the following for teachers:

· Hiring and placement

· Compensation

· Retention, promotion, and tenure

· Certification

For this week's reflection activity and discussion forum, we will look into law, policy, and practice in regard to making decisions to terminate a tenured teacher and a teacher who is not tenured.

Step One

Read Chapter 7, Performance Evaluation (pp. 213-220), for information about employee discipline.  Here are the headings for this part of the chapter:

· Employee Discipline

· Developing Termination Procedures

· Grounds for Terminating a Tenured Teacher

· Notification of Charges Against a Tenured Teacher

· Termination Hearing on Charges Against a Tenured Teacher

· Appeal by a Tenured Teacher to a Termination Decision Issued by the Board of Education

· Termination Procedures for Probationary Teachers

Click  to access what the  website has listed as a brief summary of Act 1.  This law, in addition to providing guidelines about teacher compensation, accounts for tenure and personnel decisions in education in the state of Louisiana.  Concerning the two latter topics, Act 1 "…preserves tenure for current teachers: starting in 2014, only those teachers who earn an "Ineffective" rating would lose their tenure status. Finally, Act 1 designates local superintendents and principals as the final authority in personnel decisions, while at the same time holding them accountable for student performance."  Please feel free to read the entire law.  It was – and still is – a very big change in how school systems operate when it was passed in 2012.  

Click  to access the  list of grounds for losing tenure in each state.  You will notice six things listed for Louisiana when it comes to reasons one may lose tenure in this state.

Step Two

Here is part of your reflection assignment…

Upon reading from your text, information about Act 1, and the list of grounds for losing tenure in Louisiana, create a scenario in which you outline what you perceive to be the most significant steps in taking action to remove a teacher from his or her position.  In this process/scenario, you will take on the role of a human resources director or principal.  Here are some guidelines for your response:

· Discuss some details surrounding your reason for being able to legitimately remove this teacher for repeatedly poor performance in the classroom.  In other words, provide some background for beginning the process of removal.

· Outline the ten most important steps you would take in this process, beginning with identifying the problem and ending with removal.

· For each step, discuss why you believe it to be crucial in this process.  Think about it this way – Why is each one of the steps you list among your top ten steps?

· For each step, consider not only your personal feelings and the laws or policies you are deciding to enforce, but consider the feelings and rights of the person being removed.  Account for these things. 

· Looking into the future for when you are a principal, or perhaps a human resources director, provide an account of what you believe will be going through your mind when you undertake the above process, especially in regard to your leadership skills.  It is likely something you will need to do.  To put this another way, what do you foresee as your strengths in this kind of process?  What do you foresee as areas you will want to refine before undertaking this kind of process?

Much has been done, especially with Act 1 in Louisiana, to attempt to differentiate teacher salary schedules and have them be performance-based as opposed to membership-based.  In this module’s forum, we will look at some information about these concepts in the text and on the state department’s website and answer some questions about teacher salary schedules.  You will also be asked to discern how your school district has responded to Act 1.  Furthermore, you will be asked to provide your personal perspective about differentiating teacher pay.

Step Three

Read the following from your text: Compensation (pp. 248-250)

Read the following from the Louisiana Department of Education’s website:  (slides 5-9)

Step Four

Locate the teacher salary schedule that your district uses. Include a copy with your assignment.

Step Five

Respond to the following in your reflection assignment…

· From your text, describe the difference(s) between a performance-based model and a membership-based type of compensation program.  Additionally, list at least two concrete things that would be different in regard to a salary schedule for teachers when comparing these two types of compensation plans.

· On the state department’s website, you will see that since 2012, compensation for teachers should be based on demand, effectiveness, and experience.  Describe and define each of these categories.

· Locate the salary schedule for teachers in your district.  Provide examples of how teachers in your district are compensated based on each category of demand, effectiveness, and experience.

· Much of the focus for raising salaries for teachers is on recruiting, recognizing, and retaining effective teachers.  As a result, many would say that the following should receive higher salaries than other teachers:

· Those rated highly effective for professional practice and for having the best student value-added data.

· Those who teach in high demand, low supply subjects like science, math, and special education.

· Those who meet the above criteria and who serve in schools where the supply of teachers is often low (rural areas, urban areas, schools with low performance scores).

· Where do you stand in regard to the aforementioned categories (effectiveness, subject area, and geography) when it comes to paying those teachers more than others?  Should they receive significantly more pay?  Should all teachers be compensated the same?  Justify your responses.

· Does your response change when it comes to thinking about this from a principal's or human resource director's perspective, as opposed to your current position and perspective?  Have you considered being the leader of a school or district in which effective teachers are very difficult to recruit, recognize, and retain?  Explain your answer.