Teacher evaluations don’t usually cut it

I read both Esther Cepeda’s recent commentary on the issue of teacher evaluations and Dikka Ryan’s Dec. 23 letter rebutting Ms. Cepeda. I’m on Ms. Cepeda’s side.

I’ve seen the detailed Nevada Educator Performance Framework rubric that Ms. Ryan describes as including “five standards for Instructional Practice and four for Professional Responsibilities,” adding, “Each of these standards is broken down into three or four observable actions that an evaluator can identify.” All of this is edu-speak — a flurry of words that may sound good, but falls apart upon application.

Imagine that you are an “evaluator” — typically the school principal — visiting a fifth-grade teacher’s classroom for 15 to 30 minutes of formal observation. You then must complete a form with individual ratings for approximately 30 measures of teacher competency (nine “standards” with each broken down into three or four “observable actions”). You must keep in mind that your ratings automatically become quasi-legal documents if they should one day become evidence in a dismissal hearing. I doubt you would come up with a report that truly measures that teacher’s abilities.

Ms. Ryan goes on to imply that firing incompetent teachers is not a real problem, citing personal knowledge of five who have been “forced out” of the Clark County School District. Five in a district so large is almost insignificant. My instinct tells me that a poll of district principals would show far more than half who say they have one or more on their staff who is unfit to teach.

For the record, I speak from classroom teaching experience dating back to the fall of 1954 and ranging from the elementary grades to the college level.

Owen Nelson

Las Vegas

Donald Duck?

In the Friday commentary by Susan Estrich, “Last step is over, now it’s all real,” we see more whining by yet another disconsolate, bitter Hillary supporter. Ms Estrich is a law professor and self-confessed liberal political activist. She writes that she will show President Trump “no respect.” She further states she will call him just “Donald” and then adds that she will call him “Donald Duck. No that’s not fair to the duck.”

The rest of her commentary is spent pontificating on how she and people like her can help organize hapless Democrats outside of California and New York in order to avoid another election disaster in the future.

I can just imagine what the reaction would have been if a Republican operative had attempted to slime Barack Obama in a similar manner.

All of the whining simply serves to reinforce the stereotype of today’s Democrats that is so richly deserved.

Richard L. French

Las Vegas

Not going quietly

I realize Barack Obama is president until Jan. 20, but why is he deliberately doing things he knows very well that Donald Trump will immediately overturn?

If he truly cared about America, he would be working hand and hand to ensure a smooth transition.

Mr. Obama continues to release convicted felons serving life sentences. He is still trying to empty Gitmo, knowing his goal of closing it will not happen. Last week he issued a regulation that is in direct contrast to the incoming president relative to the coal-mining industry. And the heinous action by Samantha Power at the United Nations is contrary to our interests and the interests of Israel.

I don’t recall any president leaving office conducting himself this way. No wonder millions of Americans are counting the days.

William C. Dwyer

Las Vegas