Monday, November 25, 2013

Grading the boss: Superintendent scorecard

The school board Monday released the scorecard they used to evaluate Superintendent Heath Morrison on his first year as head of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  It asks each member to rate him on 13 items using a 1-5 scale  (read about their decision to extend his contract and beef up his retirement benefits here).

Morrison and board member Tom Tate
Evaluation items include Morrison's ability to develop effective strategies,  communicate with the school board,  develop a budget, recruit and retain principals and top administrators,  and build relationships with key decision-makers.  Because N.C. law makes personnel actions confidential,  the board released the form but not the ratings given by members.

The new evaluation system looks a lot more practical than the 93-item checklist a previous board used for Superintendent Peter Gorman,  with items ranging from test scores to personal grooming.

Morrison's contract called for his goals and objectives to be set by Sept. 30,  but board Chair Mary McCray said he agreed to the delay.  It also calls for the board and Morrison to agree on goals for the coming year between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 of each year.  I'm still trying to get answers about whether this set of goals will apply to 2013-14 or whether there are revisions.

The contract also says that two-thirds of Morrison's bonus eligibility will be based on achievement of CMS goals.  That wasn't a factor this time around,  given that the board awarded retirement increases instead of a bonus.  I'm pretty sure those goals going forward will be the ones approved in October with a whole lot of blanks left to fill in as data becomes available. Update: McCray confirms that this is correct.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Evidently I got what was the retiring teacher equivalent from CMS. A wrinkled and defaced participation certificate and an East Asian piece of glass from the the dollar trophy store stuffed in a manila envelope.
We all celebrate the rejected raise……..right?

Wiley Coyote said...

3. Proficient - Superintendent demonstrated basic competence on the goal performance.

If this evaluation was done in 2003, proficient would actually be a 5 or Distinguished by today's standards.

Perhaps we should grade the superintendent the way the state has decided to grade students, which is half of what proficiency used to be, so Morrison would get a 1 or "Not Demonstrated".

All those "effectiveness of relationships/communications" and not one question on the evaluation related to effectiveness with communicating with the general public/parents.

We all know Heath did the Tour of CMS and he should get a 5 for that, but it goes to show that the BOE thinks nothing about his relationship with the public/parents by the absence of such a question on the evaluation.

Included were: decision-makers in local, state, federal government, the BOE, corporate, philanthropic, civic, higher education, faith-based entities and the General Council.

Those groups don't pay his salary. Taxpayers do.

Ex-CMS Teacher said...

I'd like to see something released for principals, too. After suffering through the worst principal ever last year, I'm surprised to see him still at the school. Turnover has been a huge issue (I'd say at least 25% of the school has changed since I left in June).

The man I worked for was not fit to be around children. He had suspect moral values, rash judgement, a long history of lies, relied heavily on assumptions, and didn't do anything about a tyrannical literacy facilitator who caused grown men to cry because she was such a bully.

Why can't there be something to expose these schools?

Furthermore, if these schools still exist (and they do, as both the principal and facilitator are still there), shouldn't this count against the superintendent?

Shamash said...

Well, at least they defined their terms.

And "proficient" to them means "demonstrated basic competence".

Which is NOT what proficient means on the new tests and school rankings or what it means on NAEP tests.

The NAEP tests have achievement levels of "basic", "proficient", and "advanced".

So "basic competence" is not "proficient" when it comes to evaluating students and schools.

But, for some reason, it is for the Super.

Maybe they are confusing the word with "sufficient".

Or maybe educrats are just confused in general.

Shamash said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shamash said...

EX-CMS teacher 2:45am:

Expose away...

After all, if those who are the most affected by a situation say nothing, then you know that no one else will.

It's not like the schools (or the "experts") are going to actually TELL you what the schools are REALLY like.

We've seen that over and over nearly everywhere.

Official policy is that everything is wonderful.

After all, what bad could ever happen at a school?

Just ask the "experts" and they'll tell you:

"But schools are still regarded as safe, experts say..."

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2013/1023/Two-teachers-killed-this-week-How-safe-are-US-schools-video

Anonymous said...

Heath , I am sorry that the last leader raided your goodie chest of cash. You should have spoken up and asked for the "Petey" deal. Cash up front in the middle and just before you leave. The BOE would have given in too you. Keith W. Hurley

Anonymous said...

They've raised the Heath bar...

Anonymous said...

2:45, this is precisely why the politicians squirm when asked for more money. They can go back and see how much per pupil spending has multiplied over the last 20 to 30 years and see no sign of increased achievement. As I continue to say, those in education have been their own worse enemy in the court of public opinion. They can not purge themselves of teachers and administrators that have no business being around children anymore. Maybe once they did, but now they are the albatross around the neck.

Heath has been schmoozing the westsiders trying to calm the uprising. With the artificial graduation rate for West Charlotte, everyone is back in the fold. Everyone has the rose colored glasses on.

Anonymous said...

I got a cheap dollar store plant. Guess that beats the asian glass.


Way to go Morrrison. On the backs of all of those before you.

Anonymous said...

10:55,
But can you clean a litter box with the plant?

Anonymous said...

To the ex CMS teacher, what school were you teaching at last year? Inquiring minds want yo know!

Anonymous said...

30 years with CMeS

you deserve the dollar store plant because you have no

Uncommon Sense