I got a call from a member last Friday asking me what we could do about her evaluation. She told me that she was marked down in "Domain 4G" of the Rubric. At first I was confused. Our contract clearly states that the Rubric used to do educator evaluations will be developed jointly between PAT and the District. The Rubric cannot be changed unless it's by mutual agreement. I knew our Evaluation Committee has worked hard to develop a fair process, and I knew that the Rubric they developed didn't have a "Domain 4G."
Imagine my surprise when I found out that, at this member's school, she was being evaluated with a Rubric that PAT has never seen nor would we ever agree to. We are working to get to the bottom of what this is all about, but it seems like someone in the District has added a section --Domain 4G -- to our evaluation Rubric. Not only does this violate our contract, but this unsanctioned element addresses a controversial subject: the educator's progress on meeting state-mandated goals vis-à-vis student test scores. Amazingly, the inappropriate inclusion of Domain 4G not only violates the Evaluation Handbook because it is not mutually agreed to, but it also violates the contract which clearly states that educators won't be evaluated using student test scores. To make matters worse, PAT, the PPS Board, and District leaders all agree this is an area where the state is going in the wrong direction, and where PPS will try to chart a different path.
We are filing a class action grievance and will make sure the District abides by our contract, but you should all be aware that Domain 4G is not a legitimate subject for educator evaluations. Report any effort by your administrator to use a Rubric containing Domain 4G to your building PAT representative.
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