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The Augusta News-Review December 29,1984
Incompetence must never be tolerated
by Mary Hatwood
As a teacher, I have always
welcomed the opportunity to be
evaluated. I am convinced —and I
know most of my colleagues
agree—that every teacher, every
school professional, ought to un
dergo a rigorous performance
evaluation at least once a year.
I make this point frequently to
legislators and community leaders
as I travel around our nation.
Some seem surprised. Others are
clearly skeptical. But if
anyone doubts that teachers want
to be evaluated, that they want to
be held accountable, that they
want incompetent colleagues to
shape up or be shipped out, let
them visit South Dakota. I did. I
was in Rapid City earlier this fall,
and I returned to Washington
exhilarated—more assured than
ever that our schools are on track
to excellence.
In South Dakota, local school
districts are now working toward
implementing an appraisal system
that will make all public school
professionals—teachers, prin
cipals, superintendents—accoun
table for their performance. The
program, though still evolving,
could well become a national
model.
The impetus for this new system
emerged last year from the South
Dakota legislature. With full sup
port from NEA’s South Dakota
affiliate, state lawmakers enacted
legislation mandating annual per
formance evaluations for school
professionals. South Dakota’s
Join the Parade
December 29th
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The Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon
Benefiting the United Negro College Fund.
Saturday, Noon to Midnight.
Saturday, Dec. 29,12:00 Noon - WRDW-TV 12
Page 6
education reacted im
mediately—and positively. They
moved swiftly to turn this
legislative directive into program
matic action.
Last spring, organizations
representing nearly every con
stituency within South Dakota’s
education community—teachers,
school board members, ad
ministrators, and higher education
officals—joined to form a
Coalition for Quality Education
through Effective Evaluation.
Together they produced guidelines
for a state-wide annual evaluation
system that all educators can live
with and learn from.
As a result of this pioneering ef
fort, every professional in South
Dakota’s school will undergo an
on-the-job appraisal by carefully
prepared evaluators. The
evaluation criteria—jointly
produced by teachers, ad
ministrators, and school board
members—are rigorous, com
prehensive, sensible, and fair.
The evaluators in this new
system are trained to look beneath
the surface of classroom
life—beyond the glitter of bulletin
boards and the idealized objectives
of lesson plans. They’re learning
to look for the meaningful
educational exchanges that should
be the vital center of every
classroom.
Good sense is at the heart of the
South Dakota evaluation standar
ds. They don’t merely measure
comperence—they promote it.
The guidelines specify that when
evaluators detect a problem with
any person’s professional perfor
mance, they must identify—in
writing—resources that the school
district will offer that person in or
der to facilitate the desired im
provement.
The South Dakota program, in
other words, relies as much as the
carrot as the stick. The evaluation
process is designed to help build
school districts where a high level
of comperence and proficiency is
the norm of the collective, not the
idiosyncracy of the individual.
There is no search for scapegoats
in the South Dakota approach,
only a commitment to iden
tify—and reinforce—strengths, to
pinpoint—and remedy—deficien
cies. The primary goal of
evaluations, South Dakota’s
Quality Education Coalition
believes, should be to improve the
quality of instructive children
receive, not to determine em
ployment decisions.
Self-evaluation —an intensive
self-critique—should, of course,
underpin every teacher’s quest to
advance the cause of educational
excellence. But this uniquely
human capacity—to reassess,
scrutinize, and take stock of our
selves—is not enough. Not if we
demand fidelity to only the highest
standards. Not if we insist on ex
cellence. To obtain such lofty
heights, there isn’t one among us
who doesn’t need help. South
Dakota has given us an example of
precisely the kind of help that all
who devote their lives to public
education should welcome.
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Importance of education focus of
UNCF telethon
The nation’s first national
telethon to benfit higher education
will air Dec. 29, thanks to the sup
port of six of America’s largest
corporations.
Anheuser-Busch Companies,
Inc., is the national sponsor and
Procter & Gamble Company, is the
national co-sponsor. Also
significantly involved are Kellogg’s
Frosted Flakes, Campbell Soup
Company, Polaroid Corporation
and Southland Corporation.
The “Lou Rawls Parade of
Stars” this year becomes the first
ever one-day national telethon to
benefit a Black cause, and the first
ever to benefit education.
“Many people think that just
one person cannot make a dis-
ference. But every person who
gives to the United Negro College
Fund during the ‘Lou Rawls
Parade of Stars’ telethon can help
change the course of life for a
disadvantaged student,” said
United Negro College Fund
President Christopher F. Edley.
Historically Black colleges
represent fewer than 4 percent of
American colleges. Yet, they
enroll an astounding 35 percent of
all Blacks attending four-year
colleges and universities.
The 42 private, predominantly
Black colleges of the United Negro
College Fund enroll some 45,000
students annually. Enrollment at
these schools has increased more
than 10 percent since 1970.
When asked why they attend a
UNCF school, students cite the
high academic standard that will
enable them to pursue graduate
study and professional careers af
ter graduation. They are en
thusiastic about small classes and
individualized attention from
dedicated professors who care
deeply about their students. They
want to experience the unique at
mosphere and special environment
that only a predominantly Black'
college offers.
These students also depend on
low tuition rates. The cost of at
tending a UNCFsche.Q.l is about
two-thirds the tuition and expense
at private colleges nationally.
UNCF students, for the most part,
come from low-income families.
They can expect no financial help
from their parents. Ninety percent
of the stuents require scholarships
and Joans.
This year, the United Negro
College Fund celebrates its 40th
anniversary. Since UNCF was
founded in 1944, it has raised over
$350 million for its member in
stitutions.
In 1983, the United Negro
College Fund’s revenues were
$29.7 million. The funds are
donated by corporations, foun
dations, individuals, unions,
students, civic groups and many
others.
Education at UNCF institutions
enables graduates to make con
tributions in all walks of life.
More than a quarter of UNCF
alumni go on to graduate and
professional study. At some in
stitutions, more than 10 percent of
the graduating class each year are
accepted by medical and dental
schools and schools of veterinary
medicine. Twenty-seven percent
of UNCF students graduate with
degrees in business. Twelve hun
dred are studying to become
engineers. These young people will
be the leaders and responsible
citizens of the 21st century.
Among the most renowned
Americans who are alumni of
UNCF colleges are: the late Mar
tin Luther King Jr., Lionel Richie,
Olympian Edwin Moses, opera
diva Leontyne Price, Atlanta
Mayor Andrew Young and the
mayors of New Orleans, Bir
mingham arid Washington, D.C.,
novelist Frank Yerby, former U.S.
Treasurer Azie Taylor Morton and
poet Nikki Giovanni.
The United Negro College Fund
is known by its motto, “A Mind Is
A Trouble Thing To Waste.”
Actor, singer, philanthropist
Lou Rawls for five years has taken
a considerable portion of time
away from his schedule to bring
together stars from all corners of
the entertainment industry to raise
money for the United Negro
College Fund on the “Lou Rawls
Parade of Stars” television special.