How do you get highly effectives in Duval County? Give them to yourself apparently.
Let’s take a second and look at the hypocrisy of this. Don Geatz are very own senate president said, he doesn’t understand how teachers can get good evaluations at schools that aren’t doing that well (mostly on standardized tests). Well friends last year we were rated a C district and unless the department of education gives the county grade relief something the super has asked for, I don’t see our grade changing.
Now admittingly that has a lot to do with the toughening of standards, but at the end of the day we are most likely going to still be a C district. And people like Geatz and Jeb Bush would say there is no way he is as good as he says he is. Well since the super seems to be down with the privatization agenda they might give him a pass.
Then think about this, teachers throughout the district report being told they are NOT allowed to have "too many" very effective marks on their annual evaluations --- because that would indicated that they have nothing to improve upon. I guess Vitti feels he was exempt from this.
Then other teachers feel they are deliberately being low-balled in their evaluations for a variety of reasons, among others age, school grades having to match evaluations and principals playing favorites. Those evaluations can affect promotions, rehiring and future salary.
There were a couple comments on Jacksonville.com that might better illustrate my points. First from the Harbinger of Doom: Let's see, first time as a superintendent and already highly effective almost across the board. What a super fast learner with no room to improve! I guess he has learned everything there is to learn in Jax and needs to start looking for a more challenging job. What utter arrogance.
And then maybe Hoosier1945 summed it up perfectly; I wonder how he would rate himself on modesty.
Call it arrogance, confidence, hubris or ego, but I think he would have been better served to be more modest. There I rate him developing/needs improvement.
