Marks Emphasizes Evaluations

A version of this story appears in TheDailyNorwalk.com

The firing of a tenured middle school teacher has prompted the new Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools to send a memo to principals about the importance of written evaluations.  “A principal’s most important job is to pay attention to what people in their building are doing,” says Susan Marks in an interview explaining the need for her memo. “Everyone deserves truthful and respectful feedback.”

Marks’ memo comes on the heels of the firing of Oscar Williams, a teacher at Ponus Ridge Middle School. Williams was terminated by the BOE for abusive conduct towards students and for his refusal to follow his supervisor’s instructions. An impartial arbitration panel recommended against firing Williams because he had no prior negative evaluations, written warnings, or disciplinary actions in his file. The BOE overruled the panel’s finding.

Marks says she supports the BOE’s decision.  “The panel accepted all the facts of the case and the facts speak for themselves,” she says.  The panel found, among other things, that Williams repeatedly used crude language when speaking to students.

Marks says she has been discussing the importance of evaluations with principals since she started her position in July.  “I’m asking them, what’s your plan for evaluation? What kind of support do you give your staff, especially the underperforming ones? I’m telling them that those who don’t improve need to be monitored.”

Although there is a standard evaluation procedure for teachers, a lack of personnel and computer systems have prevented centralizing the process, says Marks.   “There are only three employees in the HR department for this entire district because of budget cuts,” she adds, naming the Director Fay Ruotolo and two other employees.  “There is no automated system to keep track of the evaluations coming in.”

Marks says she will try through the budget process to get more support for Human Resources or she may have to reorganize existing staff and resources.

Evaluations are not only for teachers.  According to Marks, they're needed for everyone in a school building, including secretaries, assistant principals, and custodians. Principals, she says, need to be evaluated by Tony Daddona, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and Carol Marinaccio, Director of Elementary Education.   Marks also says the district needs more training on how to conduct evaluations.  Working on this with the unions, Ruotolo, Daddona and Marinaccio, she says, is also part of her plan.