Ineffective Teachers

            I believe that moving towards dismissal for ineffective teachers is an important task a principal must undergo.  Lawrence, Vachon, Leake and Leake (2001) note, “Throughout the nation, the dismissal rate of teachers for unsatisfactory teaching performance is very low because many principals fear the dismissal process” (p. xii).   Reluctance to go through a dismissal results in unfair opportunities for children.  While unions protect teachers’ rights, “It is the role of the principal to ensure that children have only the best teachers in their classrooms” (Lawrence, Vachon, Leake and Leake, 2001, p. xiii).

My understanding of school culture hints that the enemy to good teaching is isolation.  We’ve learned that “… successful organizations have a collection of individuals who work together on a common goal that transcends their own self-interests” (Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon, 2001, p. 38).  From a supervisor’s perspective, one of the most important things one can do is foster, encourage – perhaps demand – collaboration. 

An important tool in helping struggling teachers is differentiated staff development.  Glickman (2001) points out that “It is as if teachers were stamped out of teacher training institutes as identical and thereafter have no further need to be viewed as individual learners (Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon, 2001, p. 62).  If you want to motivate veteran teachers and support novices, the staff development must be varied.

References:Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2001). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Lawrence, C. E., Vachon, M. K., Leaker, D. O., & Leake, B. H. (2001).  The marginal teacher: A step-by-step guide to fair procedures for identification and dismissal.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.