Teacher and Principal Supervision in Spring of 2020
By
Dr. Gary Bloom
School closures and the difficult transition to remote schooling
came at just the time when most educational leaders would normally have been
busy completing formal teacher observations and summative evaluations of both
teachers and administrators.
It is a given that formative supervision and summative evaluation
are essential to ongoing professional growth, and to ensuring that our work in
schools meets professional standards. What has the interruption of these
processes meant, and what should we be thinking about as we look to an
increasingly uncertain Fall of 2020?
Here are a few things I have learned about the current state of
affairs as I have spoken with people in a number of school districts:
- Standard
practices and protocols have
been interrupted and a great deal of flexibility is being implemented
moving forward.
- School
leaders are largely being
empathetic and pragmatic as they work with staff to meet student needs.
- There
is less of an emphasis upon
teacher and principal accountability, and more of a focus of accomplishing
what is possible as a team.
Among the many repercussions related to supervision that I am
hearing from the field, are the following:
- Most teachers and
administrators are
feeling a high level of support and are communicating more than ever with
supervisors and colleagues, though some others are feeling isolated, a bit
helpless and left to their own devices (no pun intended).
- Some teachers and administrators who would otherwise have been
released or reassigned are being held in place because supervision
processes were not completed or because of feared difficulties in hiring
replacements.
- Some
districts are fearing that some teachers and administrators may choose to
retire and/or not to return to work, creating unanticipated vacancies in a
period in which hiring may be particularly difficult.
- Labor/management
relations have built upon and amplified relations that existed before
COVID-19. Where there was a focus upon collaboration, communication, and
student needs, trust and commitment seem to be ascendant. Where tension
and resistance already existed, a commitment to best meeting student needs
in the current circumstances may be harder to establish and maintain.
As we wrap up this school
year and look towards 2020-21, a few recommendations come to mind in relation
to teacher and principal supervision:
- Prepare to invest in
coaching-based support. We are in a new world, where nobody has the
answers. Teachers and principals will look to their supervisors for
guidance, and to their colleagues as best practices evolve. Communication
and collaboration have never been more essential.
- Develop clear and realistic
expectations around job performance. What can we expect of any teacher or
principal in the course of any one day if they are working remotely?
- Give real attention to the goal
setting components of your evaluation systems. Set goals that are meaningful
and achievable.
- Data driven improvement
processes and accountability are still relevant. How are we going to
measure our success on a daily, monthly, and annual basis?
- Maintain and solidify
commitments to equity,
given our knowledge that the current crisis amplifies advantages and
disadvantages.
- Develop and practice protocols
for observing and evaluating distance learning, remote staff meetings,
professional development activities and the like. Effective coaching,
effective formative and summative evaluation depend upon observational
input.
- Lighten up, show compassion and
flexibility as we work through this crisis, while at the same time
remembering that our actions have significant and lasting impacts upon our
students.