Robert Bacal wrote:
>I'm a former teacher educator and researcher in education ...
>The problem, in brief, is that we don't know HOW to measure teacher
>performance (or at least there is so much disagreement on that).
>It's really the same issue in many professions, which is the flaw when pay
>for performance systems are applied to areas where they just don't fit
>well.
As a former university administrator, it's my belief that the only reason
educational professionals have trouble with performance measurement is
that they believe they are somehow above accountability. This blinds them
to the simplest of questions: "What are my goals and how will I know I've
achieved them?" That's what planning and measurement is all about, and
I've been amazed at the contortions professors will go through to avoid
it. But I also find it interesting that educators at all levels have very
clear performance measures when they're looking for more money or
benefits. Like anyone else, they use the measures that support their
interests and obfuscate around the ones that don't. It's easier for
educators to obfuscate, to a great extent because they're in the business
of explanations.
I think I've done enough now to irritate a large portion of the list
membership.
For what it's worth - i.e., to reveal my own biases - at the end of this
month I will move into a position as director of a large state agency's
strategic planning unit.
Dave
--David E. Birren Project Manager and Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (608) 267-2442 "Teach your tongue to say 'I do not know' and you will progress." -- Maimonides
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