Know Your Contract … Protect Your Rights

Evaluation Procedures & Rights

The District calendar calls for evaluations of tenured staff members to be forwarded to the central administration by March 20. Evaluations of non-tenured staff members are due not later than April 10. Non-tenured staff hired prior to September 30 must be notified of renewal not later than May 15.

When receiving an evaluation, the following steps are required by the contract:

(1) District guidelines require staff members to be provided with a pre-conference meeting prior to any observation or evaluation.

(2) The observation should last most, if not all, of the class period (40 minutes).

(3) Every observation/evaluation should be documented with a completed report (there is no such thing as an "informal" evaluation/observation).

(4) Staff members must receive a copy of the evaluation, for his/her permanent retention, at least 24 hours prior to the post-evaluation conference.

(5) The report is required to denote not only areas in which improvement is suggested, but areas of proficiency AND suggested ways to improve in those areas where improvement is needed.

(6) Not less than 24 hours after the staff member receives the evaluation, s/he is to have a conference regarding the evaluation.

(7) At the post-evaluation conference, staff members can make requests for modifications of the document based upon their belief that a rating does not appropriately reflect his/her performance. Questioning the ratings on the evaluation is neither insubordination nor is it being uncooperative.

(8) If there is agreement on modifications, the form is to be modified; the staff member reviews the modifications, and if acceptable, signs the document.

(9) No document that is to be modified should be signed unless and until the staff member acknowledges the changes (which can be done on the original if both parties initial the change[s]).

(10) If there are no changes or modifications, the original must be signed before the form is sent downtown. The forwarding of the evaluation without a signature, before the staff member has had an opportunity to see the form, or have a post-evaluation conference, is a violation of the contract and possibly state law.

(11) If there are requests for modifications which are not agreed to by the administrator, the staff member still must sign the evaluation.

(12) Should a staff member disagree with the contents of the report, s/he should write on the report the following:

"My signature on this document indicates only that I have received it. I do not agree with all of the contents of the report, and reserve the right to submit a statement in rebuttal and/or take other actions at a future date."

(13) Rebuttals do not have to be submitted at the time of signing the evaluation.

(14) Rebuttals should include the staff member's objections to the specific criticisms contained in the report and any other objections held by the staff member, including procedural violations as listed above.