Anyone who has ever taught–or can remember back to being taught–knows the difference between elementary and senior high school. It’s obvious. It’s visceral. There are key constants, to be sure, such as teacher preparation, enthusiasm and classroom management. But the variables are as different as childhood and adolescent dynamics, curriculum and subject mastery.
So, what was the school district thinking when it initially assigned a 20-something elementary school teacher to be the “peer” evaluator of a 40-something high school social studies teacher with good credentials and 18 years of experience? This is what a $100-million grant gets you?