Thursday, April 18, 2013

CMS teachers being polled -- again

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is polling teachers on school climate in hopes that the data will help principals create a better workplace.

The survey was created by TNTP (The New Teacher Project),  a nonprofit that focuses on training and supporting excellent teachers.  Earlier this school year,  Superintendent Heath Morrison brought TNTP's president in to talk to principals about the group's report on "The Irreplaceables,"  which highlighted how districts fail to do enough to reward great teachers while making it too easy for bad ones to stay.

Barnes
CMS Accountability Chief Frank Barnes says the TNTP survey will be given this spring,  next fall and in spring of 2014. "Its focus is the instructional culture of a school, which can impact student performance and teacher retention,"  he writes.  "Our intent is to use this survey ... as a tool for continuous improvement.  The results of this survey will be shared with each school principal this spring in a formal,  yet readable,  report.  The reports are structured to give school leaders actionable feedback that can be tracked over time."

At the start of the school year,  CMS polled all employees on morale,  as part of a yearlong,  $140,250 polling and communication contract with K12 Insight.  Although the new survey is titled Insight,  it's not part of that contract  (I've asked about the cost, but haven't gotten an answer yet).

Teachers are also taking the annual CMS survey,  which is used in principal evaluations  (the TNTP survey will not be).  They also take the state Teacher Working Conditions Survey every two years,  but this is an off year.
 
Barnes acknowledges that the level of surveying is  "more than normal and more than there will be next school year."  The big question is whether it will make life better for teachers. Reaction I've heard has been mixed,  with some teachers skeptical and others thrilled that the new leadership team is listening.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another self-serving survey by a Michelle Rhee founded urban centric organization trying to infiltrate local schools with their materials. More time sucks and disinformation from Heath and the educratic nation. When will the BOE stop the continued interruption of classroom instruction by the for profit non profits? The truth is morale throughout the state is pathetic matching the pay and future set in play by the current and past NC General Assemblies. No interference necessary.

BolynMcClung said...

.
JUST A SMALL $72,065,817 THOUGHT ON RATING PRINCIPALS.

In the proposed 2013-14 budget the title of the line for the expenses for Principals and such is "School Leadership Services"

That is defined as….
"Cost of activities concerned with directing and managing the learning opportunities for students within a particular school...."

I suppose when a business proposes to spend $72,065,817 for "School Leadership Services" some would think that if they had a tool that lets the employees rank the managers the workplace would be better and more productive….but…that's not how private industry does it.

Private industry doesn't burden the bottom line with these kinds of costs…..and neither would charter schools.

CMS needs to be financially lean and quicker to act. Another report is counterproductive on both fronts.

Bolyn McClung
Pineville
.

Anonymous said...

He looks like a salesman.

Anonymous said...

Pal , the only way to improve the results within CMS is to get rid of suit punks like Barnes and Morrison. Think about it what is another study do for CMS to tell them they suck? Would that money be better spent on teachers? Give me a break you idiots at CMS. Heath this guy works for you so it rolls up to your responsibility for another study and cost $$ ! Dont cry when the county says no to your budget.

csawyer said...

I hope the teacher survey is better constructed than the recent budget survey!

Anonymous said...

At this point how many more surveys does it take to build a forest? CMS should be close on that iniative.

Anonymous said...

CMS Accountability "Chief" Frank Barnes

Say what?

This is clearly a latent intentionally used bigoted racist term and should never be used again in the system.

West Meck Indians were eliminated several yrs ago. The mayor of DC demands the Redskin name be changed. The Braves have been under gun for ages. KC Chiefs catch hell all the time.

Is this an indian tribe?

DROP IT NOW !!!

Never use Chief for anything again in govtermnent functions.
Racists!!! Bigots !!!


Anonymous said...

More consultants making money! Why s it that this "top performing" system can't create their our survey. I know plenty of teachers who will just tell you if you let them.

I'm not sure how "honest" a teacher is going to be if they know the report will go to the prinicipals. There is no trust at CMS - not for a minute is a teacher not going to wonder whether they will be signled out - not for one minute.

One more question: When did we decide that a principal was not qualified to review and compensate their staff? I guess one more: when did we decide that a teacher was not qualified to to promote or not promote a child to the next grade?

I foudn out today that the teachers at our school are stressed over the 1-inch thick evaluations which have been suggested for 'pay for performance'. Just what I want to hear - more distracted teachers in the classroom!

Again I say, we are lucky any of these teachers show up every day to teacher our children.

Another report...... yippy!

Anonymous said...

2:27 PM

Agree. The Police (c word) and Fire (c word) need to immediately stop this open racist bigotry. This is the pc age so nothing goes unscathed.

Rodney Monroe should be more sensitive to indians otherwise he should wear a large headband of feathers and wear a tomahawk.

Police Superintendent and Fire Superintendent will suffice.

And if the CO ever uses "scalper" again for sports ticket ripoffs they will be boycotted. "Indian giver" is off limits as is "pow wow" or any other mockery.
We dont like the Indian Trail or Indian Land city names either.
And never chew "Red Man" chewing tobacco if you chewbacca.

Anonymous said...

BofE, Jimmy Chancey, Expanded Staff

MOrrison


FALSE PROPHETS

Anonymous said...

I object to the use of the word tsar or czar because it brings back painful memoirs of my ancestors plight.

Tevye the Milkman.

Anonymous said...

Well let's get rid of the fighting Irish too.

Phil McKrakin

Anonymous said...

The $140,000 paid this consultant group could have paid for 2-3 teachers. Why does CMS keep making dumb decisions? The teacher survey could have been developed in a weeks time by current CMS staff.

Make the cuts at the top, keep CMS employees close to the customers-the students.

Anonymous said...

We have no problem with mascots like the Fighting Irish Cowboys Steelers or Vikings other others. We do however have a problem with Yankees.

Atlanta author Lewis Grizzard 1985