New Massachusetts DESE Educator Evaluation (Steve Guditus)
January is a busy month. Cabin fever sets in, the pace of curriculum picks up, and we are at the halfway point of our journey. As with anything new, there can be some growing pains and some grumbles - but the Massachusetts DESE's new educator evaluation system has provided an outstanding opportunity for me to have deep conversations about learning and teaching. At first, the anxiety level of staff (both teachers and administrators) was high; as the nuts and bolts have been figured out, we have been able to focus on reflection and best practices. In the last several months, I have consistently had the best conversations in recent memory about learning and teaching with a high number of staff members. I cannot help but believe this is, in part if not full, attributed to our new educator evaluation system. The shift from one lengthy, hour-long observation to several mini-observations with immediate feedback to staff, has proven to be an outstanding fo...