Thursday, March 24, 2011 Bradford County Telegraph 3A


District working on teacher evaluation


 BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
 Telegraph Editor

 The school district is working
 with school administrators and
teachers on developing an evalu-
ation system that will meet the
requirements of recently passed
legislation that will eventually
tie teacher retention and pay to
student performance.
 Assistant Superintendent Lisa
 Prevatt and Human Resources
 Director Randy Whytsell recent-
 1', attended a state academy on
 teacher evaluation with school
 level administrators and teachers
 from Bradford County.
 Prevatt sees exciting opportu-
 nities in the proposed changes.
 While the legislation is not uni-
 versally embraced among the
 state's educators, Prevatt pointed
 out there has been less conflict
 over the issue this year because
 more people were brought to the
 table to participate in the process
 and develop the standards.
 "That is creating transparency
 and getting the information out
 there to develop a process that
 will be fair to teachers," Prevatt
 said. "That has been our promise
 Sto our group, that we want to stay
 transparent, we want to work to-
 gether to create something that
 will be palatable to all of us."
 She acknowledged that going
from paying educators based on
experience and tenure to perfor-
imance a huge move for the state.
 Superintendent Beth Moore
 said one of the reasons for partic-
ipating in Race to the Top grant
program was the knowledge that
education was moving in this di-
r ction. One of the standards to
be met for the funding was put-
ting an employee evaluation sys-
-tern in place, one that would link


pay.and performance by 2014.
 Of course, the big question
has been how to measure teacher
performance. Prevatt said the
state has been looking at research
to develop an evaluation method.
There has been particular empha-
sis on the model developed by re-
searcher Robert Marzano.
 If teacher evaluation is to be
linked to student learning gains,
Marzano advocates empowering
teachers by making them experts
in education through the use of
proven teaching strategies. Mar-
zano says as teachers incremen-
tally increase their expertise, so
too will they be able to increase
their ability to raise student learn-
ing gains.
 Marzano has developed a
framework in which student
achievement sits atop a pyramid
that is based first on knowledge
of proven teaching strategies.
That is supported by the ability
to plan and prepare for instruc-
tion and on a teacher's self-eval-
uation, that is their ability and
willingness to both assess their
own performance and grow as
educators.
 "It is something the teachers
who heard this felt much better
about, because it does give them
a lot of ownership and opportu-
nity," Prevatt said. The concept
of taking data and using it to fo-
cus and become teaching experts
is exciting, she added.
 Also required is a sense of
collegiality and professionalism
in the field of education, or the
promotion of a positive environ-
ment, open communication and
professional development within
the school district.
 According to Whytsell, each
of those domains for improving
teacher expertise form the foun-


District names Sunshine Scholar


dation for the district to realize
its primary goal of increasing
student learning.
 "This evaluation process that
 we're looking at-research
 based-gives you a lot more to
 work with, gives the principals
a lot more support," Whytsell
said.
 In the past, an evaluation
 could be very subjective. Under
 the framework, principals serve
 not just as evaluators but as in-
 structional leaders, providing the
 feedback needed for teachers to
 grow. The principal is not just a
 supervisor but a coach who turns
 the evaluation process into a
 valuable tool.
 Perhaps most importantly, it
 bases evaluation on more than
 the results of a single standard-
 ized test.
 "What we really want is stu-
 dent achievement," Whytsell
 said. "This model gives you a lot
 of substance and a lot of criteria
 to base that on."
 Teachers and administrators
 will have a greater idea of what
 is expected of them as theyivork'
 to improve student achievement,
 he added.
 The district doesn't have to
 adopt Marzano's model, but
 it does have to adopt some re-
 search-based model for teacher
 evaluation that is based in part'
 on student learning gains, Pre-
 vatt said. The districtwide com-
 mittee working toward this goal
 includes representatives from
 each school.
 SB 736, also known as the Stu-
 dent Success Act, was the first
 bill sent to Gov. Rick Scott out
 of the current legislative session.
 In a controversial move, for-
 mer Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a
 similar teacher performance bill



 Have you heard
 the spelling
 bee buzz?
 The competition could spell
 trouble or glory in the Bradford
 County Education Foundation's
 third annual Adult Spelling Bee.
 The event is scheduled for
 Saturday, May 7, at the National
 Guard-ArmoryorrxEdwards Road
'iff Saif le.''i~': \Vill 'b1'served'
at 6 p.m., with the spelling bee to
follow at 7 p.m.
 The foundation is looking for
teams. Teams of two can register


Lott re-elected chief judge


 The Honorable Martha Ann
 Lott has been re-elected for a
second term as chief judge of the
Eighth Judicial Circuit for the
two-year term beginning July 1,
2011. Judge Lott has served as
Chief Judge of the circuit since
July 1,2009.
 The chief judge serves as the
chief judicial officer of the cir-
cuit, and maintains liaison in all
judicial administrative matters
with the chief justice of the Flor-
ida Supreme Court. The chief
judge develops an administrative
plan for the efficient and proper
administration of all courts with-
in the circuit. Additionally, Judge
Lott is responsible for the assign-
ment of judges to divisions and
the distribution of staff resources
to support those judicial assign-
ments throughout the circuit.
 The chiefjudge responsibilities
also include overseeing the seven
courthouses within the Eighth
Judicial Circuit, and coordinat-
ing efforts with the six clerks of
court for implementation of new
and cost savings technologies
that provide for effective court
access.
 Tie chief judge represent" the
circuit at both the local and state
level on all matters related to the
couri budget and recently Lott
said, "We understand that it is
essential that we operate as effi-
ciently as possible.The country is
going through difficult economic


last year, but Scott has said he in-
tends to sign the new bill.
 "This will help attract and re-
tain the best teachers," said Scott
in a press conference following
the Senate vote, adding that it
was part of his plan to increase


for $200. Crazy team names and
costumes are part of the fun, as is
bribing the judges by purchasing
a $50 bribe ticket. Teams also
raise money by bringing along a
cheering section, and everyone
can come out and support their
favorites. Tickets to attend are
$20, and you can contribute more
by sponsoring a letter for an ad-
ditional $20.
 'Team applications aiI tick-
.ets can. be .picked .up 't. Julce
Tinsler's office at the Bradford
County School District building.


Martha Ann Lott


times. I believe we can strike
the right balance of keeping the
courts accessible to all people
in order to resolve disputes and
maintain public safety and still
continue to operate on less than
1 percent of the budget.
 "I appreciate the opportunity
to serve the judges, the staff who
allows us to handle the overload


jobs in Florida.
 Pay for performance will come
into play in a few years after the
evaluation system is implement-
ed, according to Moore. Teach-
ers who already have tenure will
have the choice to opt into the


of cases and, most of'all, the pub-
lic. That is what we are here for.
We only have to look to world
news every night to remember
how lucky we are to live in a free
society, protected by. a balance
of power by three independent
branches of government."


new system or remain on the
existing experience-based sal-
ary schedule. Even tenure won't
protect those who receive con-
sistently poor evaluations, how-
ever.


Paul Sanders, P.A.O

 Attorney at Law
 Real Estate
 Contracts, Evictions
 Sand Foreclosure
 Estate Planning
 Wills & Probate
 Corporate Formation
 b: and Business Law
 Divorce, Custody &
 Adoption
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 904-964-5701
 403 Georgia Street Starke, FL
 (1st office on the right)


Bradford High School Principal Doug Thoburn
recognized Sunshine State Scholar Ashley Spell before
the school board last week. Thoburn said the award
couldn't go to a more deserving student. The Sunshine
State Scholars program recognizes students who'excel
JIn sciences, engineering, technology and mathematics,
otherwise known as STEM courses. Each district selects
a scholar, who must also have a weighted GPA of 4.0
or higher. The scholars were honored with a two-day
-'celebration in Orlando.


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