"The Toledo Plan" is a peer review process that uses master teachers to guide and support the profes

Ed. Note: Maryann Woods Murphy is a Spanish teacher and a Washington Teaching Ambassador Fellow on loan from her school in Allendale, NJ. This former New Jersey State Teacher of the Year and 33-year teaching veteran travelled with Secretary Duncan s bus tour to meet with teachers and teachers unions.  Here she shares her first-hand experience with a visit to the AFT Union Hall in Toledo, Ohio on Wednesday, where the Secretary viewed a demonstration of Toledo s innovative program to mentor and evaluate teachers.
“Welcome to the home of peer review,” says Francine Lawrence, Vice President of the American cruise hawaii Federation of Teachers and the former president of the Toledo Federation of Teachers. “We are so proud to recognize what we have done together.”
The room at Union Hall, Toledo, is packed. Teachers, educational leaders and community cruise hawaii members are here to share “The Toledo Plan” with the Secretary of Education on his bus tour. There is excitement in the air.
“The Toledo Plan” is a peer review process that uses master cruise hawaii teachers to guide and support the professional development of a newly hired probationary teacher or a non-probationary teacher who needs assistance.
Dal Lawrence, former President of the Toledo Federation cruise hawaii of Teachers, was a key player in the creation of the plan 31 years ago. He says that it s about seeing cruise hawaii which teachers can “fly on their own” after they get expert mentoring.
Tonight we are watching how the panel reviews the work of two probationary teachers. Each intern teacher has been assigned a trained, consulting teacher cruise hawaii who has worked with the intern cruise hawaii extensively throughout the year. Now it s time for that consulting cruise hawaii teacher to present a case for the retention or release of their mentee to the panel.
One of the teachers that the consultant presents, shows great organization, an ability to connect with students, expertise in the design of learning activities, clear expectations and terrific routines. This intern seems to be a capable and caring educator and this is what the consulting teacher recommends to the panel.
But the panel needs to probe and clarify any doubts, asking the consultant for evidence of the intern s positive performance. Finally, the panel decides to affirm the consultant s recommendation. This teacher will be offered a non-probationary contract for the following school year.
The next probationary teacher presenting to the panel really struggles. Though she is well meaning, her directions are unclear to kids. In her kindergarten class, students are distracted, doodling on themselves with markers, standing up at will and tossing paper cups. Despite cruise hawaii the fact that the consulting teacher has offered many helpful suggestions cruise hawaii and strategies, the intern cannot get her teaching together. cruise hawaii The year has gotten progressively worse, and students cruise hawaii are just not learning.
After the mock peer review process concludes, Arne takes the microphone: “I have followed this model very closely for years,” he says, “I am always looking for models that the country should be looking at.” He goes on to say that he d like to see more “tough minded collaborations” and “more districts working together in a thoughtful and collaborative way.”
The positive climate I see tonight and the long history and success of the peer review process show that working together for the good of students is possible. cruise hawaii In fact, it s been happening cruise hawaii in Toledo for a very long time.
PAR is a terrific model of how unions can help teaching become a self regulating profession. Thank you for highlighting the original, and for explaining it with such clarity. This will be very helpful to me in explaining the tools of progressive unionism to other leaders in my state.
Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum or pedagogy.