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Re: Advice for Tina and other rookies...



At 8:49 -0400 5/2/02, Michael N. Monce wrote:

Very good reply, but this statement is in conflict somewhat with
the article referenced on the list a few days ago. The article by Valen
Johnson of Duke shows a detailed analysis of a large statistical sample of
students. Basically, you give low grades, the students then lower their
course evaluations accordingly. A true no-win situation. I found the
article fascinating and await his book. (April 14, New York Times
Education Life Supplement, page 14)

I remember learning way back when, that the two major mistakes that
any manager or person in authority can make are to give
responsibility without the requisite authority, and the converse, to
give authority without the appropriate responsibility. Both will
inevitably lead to bad results.

In their effort to "democratize" education, administrators have taken
to using student evaluations of teachers as a means of determining
the teachers' value. This represents the second of the errors noted
above--authority without responsibility. The students have been given
the power to make or break a teacher's career, while being entirely
free of the consequences of their action. Since there are no
consequences to them for what they say, they are free to take an
entirely selfish attitude with no consideration given to the teacher
or to the broader needs and aspirations of the school.

I have no objection to a teacher getting evaluations from the
students--a teacher interested in improving performance should do so
regularly--but, unless the students are willing to put their names on
the evaluations and take responsibility for what they say, those
evaluations should go no farther than the teacher's desk. I don't
know of many supervisors or bosses who would be comfortable with
having their performance evaluated anonymously by their subordinates.
Why should teachers have to put up with it? The results announced by
Johnson are exactly what is to be expected from this practice.

Hugh
--

Hugh Haskell
<mailto:haskell@ncssm.edu>
<mailto:hhaskell@mindspring.com>

(919) 467-7610

Let's face it. People use a Mac because they want to, Windows because they
have to..
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