In all that has been written about teacher evaluation, there has been one glaring omission: For teachers, it is frightening. It’s intimidating to adjust to new performance expectations, anxiety-inducing when a job rating is attached to students’ test scores, and downright terrifying when less-than-rosy results come back. All of that makes Renee Pryor’s job one of the most challenging in Tennessee’s Lincoln County school district—a job, she jokes, that “no one wants.” She is the administrator who works with new teachers and those who have gotten a lower score on one element of the reviews, typically the portion that is based on student-test scores. Formally the district’s supervisor of evaluation programs, Pryor is in reality responsible for making sure that evaluations of the district’s 250 teachers trigger useful feedback and targeted support—rather than leaving them frustrated and bewildered. This video was produced as part of Education Week’s Leaders To Learn From project, recognizing outstanding school district leaders from around the country.
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