I guess that anything that does not come out full bore one way or
another is a cop out.  Test scores are a non-subjective measure.  So
too would be height or weight.  All three are fairly meaningless.

I have no reason to believe that principals would be fairer or better
judges than the teachers.  I await your response, which will be the
last word on the subject.  I have papers to grade.

On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM, David B. Shemano <[email protected]> wrote:
> Michael Perelman writes:
>
>>> I do not entirely disagree with you.  The problem is that we lack
>>> adequate measures of good teaching – standardized tests give us some
>>> numbers, but the numbers themselves are pretty worthless.  If teachers
>>> themselves had much say in the selection of administrators, I would be
>>> more accepting of the elimination of seniority.
>
>
> You won't be surpised I think this is a copout.  Once we get away from 
> piecemeal production and into the world of knowledge and information 
> production, productivity becomes more subjective and difficult to evaluate, 
> but here is nothing special about this with respect to teaching.  It applies 
> to lawyers, etc., and every other (non-unionized) profession manages to get 
> along with managerial qualitiative review.   In fact, precisely beause of 
> standardized testing, it is easier to include an objective criteria in the 
> evalution of teachers than most other knowledge/information producers.  
> However, the ultimate issue is who decides.  You think the decision should be 
> in the hands of the teachers, while I think the decision should be in the 
> hands of the principal, who has the managerial responsbility to ensure that 
> the school attracts students and performs its function.
>
>>> The job of the teachers should be to inspire, but inspiration becomes
>>> difficult where teachers lack respect and where they get bogged down
>>> in bureaucratic nonsense.
>
> An inevitable consequence of the government provided unionized school system. 
>  Compare to private schools/catholic schools.
>
> David Shemano
>
>
>
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-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA
95929

530 898 5321
fax 530 898 5901
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
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