How can the tax paying public be sure that teachers are doing their job well?
This is a rather open ended question that I'm sure not too many people have a definitive answer to. I suppose the best place to start is with what I know. I have been a student for almost my whole life and in 15 years I have been witness to different evaluation methods.
Starting in middle school (5-8), I remember there being department assessments. At the end of a quarter, we would be assessed based on what we learned in all of the content areas. These results were then taken and compared by teachers in their respective departments and used to see what changed needed to be made.
In high school (9-12) the later method was also used. In addition there were teacher evaluations, completed by an administrator. One or two classes out of the year an administrator would sit in and observe. There was also the NECAP testing. Although this was not an individual assessment of teachers, it was a reflection of the quality of the education students were receiving, on the whole.
Now in my third year of college here at RIC, I have become accustomed to the teacher evaluations. Routinely, at the end of each semester, students are given multiple choice surveys to evaluate each of their their professors. **I must note that I am not a fan of this method. I think it has great potential, but the way it is used in most departments at RIC is ineffective. Multiple choice is bogus. This is no sure way to tell whether or not a student is being truthful. Students need to be asked questions about the teacher and the course and they need to provide written responses with examples to prove the validity. This might be a far fetched notion but maybe the surveys could count as some minor grade. At the end of the semester most students don't really care about the surveys and would just assume be done with class. If the surveys counted as a part of their grade, they might take them a little more seriously.
What more can be done? I think the best method may be direct and open communication between the schools and the tax payers. Whether there are department assessments, NECAPS, teacher assessments, or surveys, the results of these things should be made available to the parents. This doesn't go to say that these things should be plastered on the walls, but if a parent has a question of the effectiveness of a teacher then it should be answered. Parents need to be active in their child's education and they will not know answers if they do not ask questions. I hate to say it, but there are some ignorant people out there...so schools and teachers need to make it clear that they are willing to provide an open communication with parents. Let parents know that they can talk to the teachers, administration, and school committee and encourage them to be active in their child's education.
So, what's fair to the students? Teachers? Administration? District? Community? Unfortunately, I don't think that there is a single solution or "catch-all" answer.
