Another year another set of goals to be written by teachers and approved by administrators. Again this year our district admin is pushing S.M.A.R.T. goals. Goals that are testable. Goals that are achievable. Goals with percentages in them. Goals that can be used to dismiss teachers if student class achievement does not reach some arbitray percentages.
How can we as teachers know how well a brand new group of children will do in our class this year? How can we be expected to predict future absenteeism? Or predict which children will move into or out of our classrooms. The change of a few high achievers in or out of a class can make a huge impact on overall class progress and percentages that meet any particular goal. There are just too many variables over which we do not have control.
Remember under the provisions of our previous contract, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE S.M.A.R.T. goals. Your goals are your own. No matter what pressure your site admin exerts, no teacher is required to write percentage type S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Since we have no new contract, ALL the provisions of the last contract stay in effect. The only way teachers can be required to write S.M.A.R.T. goals is if our contract changes. For the contract to change, we have to have a new contract and we do not.
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