Colonial School District is launching a new teacher evaluation system, making it the first major district to break away from the state’s framework.
The new plan slims down the current 18 standards used to grade a teacher to five, focusing on professional knowledge, instructional delivery and how they foster a learning environment
More classroom visits are also included – five each year for experienced educators and eight annually for newer teachers according to Pete Leida, director of schools for the district.
“Rather than being super general you can get in there and you can say, ‘Hey, you can work on this and that’ll help your practice.’ So those small, incremental changes are personalized to what that teacher needs and what those students need," Leida said.
The roughly 800-member Colonial Education Association ratified the new evaluation system 275-240.
Union members negotiated with district staff for four days to cobble together the deal, and despite the close vote, Leida says he's not concerned about lingering hard feelings.
“I think we’re going to really quickly move past that," he said. "I think it’s just the change and the change in an area where it’s your evaluation so that’s a big thing to be changed. I think anybody would be naturally apprehensive about that.”
In a statement, Colonial Education Association President Stephanie Ingram said, "Our members were open to an opportunity to try a new evaluation system and we hope this new system is centered around teacher growth, improving our profession, and ultimately, student success."
But Ingram noted that the group's members still had questions regarding the rubric and coaching aspects of the system.
The framework is currently being implemented and doesn’t factor in student test scores – something that teachers across the state have raised concerns about using in recent years.
In July, federal education officials extended a waiver allowing Delaware to avoid incorporating test scores, but it must implement them beginning next year.
Last school was Delaware’s first using the new Smarter Balanced student test.
