On Performance
Justin Baeder is a public school principal in Seattle and a doctoral student studying principal performance and productivity at the University of Washington. In this blog he examined issues of performance, improvement, and the changing nature of the education profession. This blog is no longer being updated.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
A Level-Headed (But Still Narrow-Minded) Take on VAM
Value-added has become both poster child and whipping boy in the debate on how to improve teacher evaluations. This editorial from some very bright people makes a very sane case for not giving up on VAM ("Value-Added: It's Not Perfect, But It Makes Sense," EdWeek, December 15). The authors argue that, while not perfect, VAM is still very useful and should not be ignored. Among their key points:
Assessment
Opinion
Test Scores Dropped from Definition of Effective Principals
The National Association of Elementary School Principals reported to members via email and blog post on Friday that the Department of Education has backed down from including student academic growth, as measured by standardized test scores, from its definition of "effective" and "highly effective" principals:
Education
Opinion
The Softer Side of Performance
Years ago, Sears had an ad campaign with the slogan "Come see the softer side of Sears," an apparent attempt to remind customers that they sell clothes and linens, and not just tools and electronics.