Letter: COMPASS points the wrong way

As a member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and a director of human resources, I am appealing to the Louisiana Legislature to revisit COMPASS — the new teacher/leader evaluation program.

No teacher is opposed to an evaluation process; however, many teachers have concerns about the validity and reliability of COMPASS, particularly when Charlotte Danielson (architect of COMPASS’ key “Danielson Rubric” metric now used to evaluate teachers) is quoted in the January edition of the School Administrator as saying that districts or states should spend a year or more studying the process before implementing.

Louisiana did not do this.

In another news article, she states her model should be used in its original format — unlike the piecemeal approach that has occurred in Louisiana. Louisiana’s implementation of Danielson’s evaluation process has been swift and piecemeal, contrary to the advice of Danielson.

The hasty implementation of policies, with limited discussions regarding their long-range implications, has impacted the morale of our teachers. It is frustrating to see great teachers leave Louisiana’s public schools. Attrition levels are high, and recruiting new teachers is a challenge.

Recently, as a personnel director in St. Martin Parish, I offered a position to a new teacher who declined the job offer, saying she was going to “wait to see what happens”; she was concerned that COMPASS would not be a fair evaluation of her contributions in the classroom and was thinking of finding employment in another profession.

Some dispute that COMPASS is the reason for teacher attrition in Louisiana. Some even deny that teacher attrition is a concern. While COMPASS may not be the sole reason for the sudden departure of teachers, there is no denying that untested, hastily implemented teacher evaluation programs and other policies are frustrating and contribute to poor morale among teachers.

Education is critical to every child’s success. Moving forward, with experienced and effective teachers resigning or retiring, and new teachers harder to recruit, I see educational opportunities for students diminishing. Is this our goal?

Lottie P. Beebe, District 3 member

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Breau Bridge

Comments

1) Comment by teacherguy - 06/02/2013

I plan to... :)

2) Comment by bayouboy77 - 06/02/2013

To teacher guy, get out of education. As fast as you can. I did after over a decade of teaching, and couldn't be happier. Better paying career, and supervisors who appreciate and respect hard work. Life is too short to be abused like White and Jindal are doing. Everyone knows COMPASS and VAM are horribly flawed, but they don't care. People need to realize THEY DON'T CARE. Get out before the good jobs are gone. The word is out in the private sector that college educated professionals are looking for work.

3) Comment by teacherguy - 06/02/2013

Don't get me wrong...I want to see the bottom 10% of teachers get a swift kick in the behonkers. And most teachers are VERY receptive to evaluations...Compass inclusive...and embrace changes in best practices....look at the new reforms most teachers have quietly accepted every 4-6 years over the past 40 years as my evidence. The way this "reform" has unfolded, though...has left such a bad taste in teachers' mouths...those waiting to retire will give you what you ask for...but the passion has been drained dry! They will get those kids through those tests, because they won't let the kids down...but there will be a severe disconnect between students, teachers, and a love of learning. Teachers aren't against outcome-based education...they are against being silenced when they are the "chosen" ones (by not being part of the 50% that quits in the first 5 years). They are against a "leader" (White) that "believes", but has no capacity to inspire his army (teachers) to fight with him. When you have teachers on your side...you have people who can do anything with NO resources, who manipulates mobs of hormonal teens like the Pied Piper, who will put their families on hold to grade a paper, write a lesson plan, or be present at an after hours school function. The good nature in most teachers keeps us from getting too loud...but it also motivates us to quietly meander into places where we would be more respected and needed. This quiet exodus of the most valuable teachers is what Louisiana is most likely going to see from here on out. Mrs. Beebe...thank you for your fight for us, however, the damage has been done. I look forward to future elections to see if this tide can be turned...but I will be exploring EVERY opportunity, as most of my co-workers, to exit this profession ASAP...and this is coming from one of the top 10 districts in the state...I can just imagine what is going on in the lower 58 (I think) school districts .

4) Comment by teacherguy - 06/02/2013

Experienced teachers have lost their voice and credibility in LA based on the "fact" that 45%, or something like that, of schools are labeled D or F. The objective is to flush the system of the present concept of education and turn it into something different that couldn't possibly be worse than what we had. I have 11 years until retirement and feel such a fool for devoting my life to being a teacher with the way I have been trampled over. I have zero respect for those, White/Roemer/Jindal, who have detonated nuclear weapons on 100% of teachers throughout the state. It is my belief they will work the numbers to show massive improvements with these reforms for the next 3-5 years until national evaluation measures expose what has really happened in this state. It is my belief that teachers in this state have been working miracles all along, even in those "failing schools", and as the experienced teachers retire and drop away...while the inexperienced teachers (not too much better than substitutes) take their places...the state is going to realize that even a bad teacher (in most cases) is better than a good substitute. This may sound arrogant...but TRUE educators/administrators KNOW EXACTLY what I am talking about.

5) Comment by twinkie1cat - 04/02/2013

Experienced teachers cost more than rookies. Teachers with more degrees cost more. Nationally certified teachers cost more. Teachers with tenure are not afraid to speak their mind to administrators and politicians. Bobby and his last Jindalclone, Paul Pastorek, said that advanced degrees and experience don't matter for teachers. Bobby, through John White, is happy that the experienced teachers are quitting because he foolishly thinks he can run the schools better with rookies. White and Bobby will both be long gone when the children starting school now, so when the children can make a good enough score on the ACT to get into LSU but then can't pass Freshman English, they won't get the blame. Impeach Jindal. Reform BESE. Take away Jindal's power to hire and fire all Department Heads, including the State Superintendent.. It is the only way to save the schools.

6) Comment by crazycajun - 04/02/2013

jdk, if the state decides, as has always been, the who, what, where, how and when of every aspect of teaching the children, the ones at the top have been making the wrong decisions for a long time. Yet L'il booby and his clowns demonize the teachers. I have three nieces who are teachers that have either retired early or resigned since this debacle has unfolded. In my home parish 127 teachers have either retired or resigned this school year. Quadruple the normal attrition rate. Yet L'il White says there's no problem with teachers leaving because of this. I see he's learned well from his boss booby, because I say it is.

7) Comment by coachblades - 04/02/2013

@jdk944 We teachers are not oppose to evaluation. We have always been evaluated. It has never bothered us before. We are opposed to this evaluation because even if we pass the un announced observations with a perfect score, if we teach exactly the "perfect" way the state says we should and the kid still screws the pooch on standardized test we are "ineffective". The state limits the ways we can teach, gives us an exact formula to use (and if we dont use it we fail) and if it doesnt work its still our fault and not the kids not the parents not the states. If we teach the way we want and every child passes standardized tests it doesnt matter we fail because we didnt teach the way the state said we should. Our state and our schools are teaching its students that their failure is not their fault, their failuire is someone else's fault. The republican party (which i am a member of) is pushing these reforms yet every day republicans and conservatives rail against the "welfare, woe as me, Im a victim" citizens. Does my party realize it is basically telling an entire state of children that if they dont succeed just blame someone else. Blame the teacher, blame the white man, blame the rich, its anyone fault bu theirs.

8) Comment by twinkie1cat - 04/02/2013

Do you remember the episode on the Simpsons where Mr. Burns privatized sunlight by blocking it from Springfield? Mr. Burns is Bobby Jindal in a few years if he is allowed to continue destroying the public schools. Impeachment is the only real solution.

9) Comment by twinkie1cat - 04/02/2013

Jindal would privatize the delivery of the air we breathe if he could sell it to a conservative, for profit business. His goal is the destruction of public schools and the delivery of state assets to for- profit corporations and conservative religious groups, thereby ensuring money and votes for whatever political office he intends to pursue.

10) Comment by twinkie1cat - 04/02/2013

Louisiana is going to have a terrible time recruiting teachers until it stops the abuse, including the Compass. Even its author, as the writer stated, was concerned about inappropriate use of the evaluation. John White has said that we are not losing teachers because he sees net stability and has twisted the data to ensure that it says what Jindal has told him to say. Obviously he cannot tell a fresh from college recruit from a teacher. But then the Jindal administration philosophy for several years has been that experience and advanced degrees don't matter in the schools until we have very little except Teach for America, teachers who are "tied to the land" in the rural parishes, and the good ones who would retire if they had enough years. The rest, those with high potential and those with 5 years or more who know what they are doing will head for states that value professional educators. Teachers, by nature, will not tolerate abuse indefinitely.

11) Comment by phil - 04/02/2013

If you set a compass down where there are too many outside forces in play, the compass will almost always point in the wrong direction. Do I need to explain?

12) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 04/02/2013

jdk944: To which article in the News section are you referring? A title or subject would be helpful /// [e-mail]: if you are going to attack someone, at least make coherent statements...

13) Comment by [e-mail] - 04/02/2013

Ms. Beebe is hoist on her own petard; such an obviously partisan letter by a Personnel Director! Shocking, yes, it's clear that standards have fallen on that board. Or is it bored?

14) Comment by SuzanneMS - 04/02/2013

Lottie, you're assuming that Jindal/White's purpose is to fairly and effectively evaluate public school teachers in order to assure that those in the public school classrooms are doing the best job that they can, when it is, in fact, precisely the opposite. As you note, they've succeeded in forcing many experienced, qualified teachers to retire, and in discouraging the best of the new teachers from even entering the field in Louisiana. The retention rate among teachers is already low, and this will just make that problem worse, with the result that few if any teachers will stay on the job more than 2 years and public schools will perform ever more poorly. Private, for-profit schools will have a field day, while children in the poorest areas will languish with no hope for the future.

15) Comment by jdk944 - 04/02/2013

Ms. Beebe, you state in your letter "No teacher is opposed to an evaluation process..." Really? You need to read the article in today's The Advocate on this topic under the News Section, if you are reading it online.

16) Comment by bourbon-soda - 04/02/2013

Unless there's a "Breau Bridge" somewhere, it should be "Breaux Bridge."

17) Comment by gary - 04/02/2013

Lottie, our governor has a small window of opportunity before declaring for prez. A lot of pundits (left/right) are citing the words he is preaching about the Republican's can no longer be the party of stupid. However, he has already duped us (LA folk), in fact - twice. So, we all have to hep him.