3012 - EMPOWERING PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TO ACHIEVE A CULTURE AND CLIMATE OF EXCELLENCE
3012.1 Purpose
The Board of Education (Board) for Durham Public Schools (DPS) believes that schools have a large effect on uniform high student achievement specifically through the provision of excellent teaching and leadership. Consequently, the Board is committed to hiring and retaining high quality, caring, and competent teachers and principals. The purpose of this policy is to articulate a set of standards for which the Superintendent will develop operating procedures, data gathering methods, and reporting techniques to ensure accountability in: 1) hiring and supervision; 2) leadership excellence; and 3) quality of the instructional program in DPS.
3012.2 Standards
a. Hiring and supervision practices are organized to ensure that all DPS schools are appropriately staffed with high quality, caring, competent teachers and leaders.
i. The application and hiring processes are purposefully organized to create strong leadership teams at all schools.
ii. The application and hiring processes are purposefully organized to create strong teaching faculties at all schools.
iii. The Superintendent evaluates all principals yearly to ensure maximally effective leadership at the building level. The Superintendent is responsible for developing principals’ capacity for successful building leadership and/or for adjusting leadership staffing as necessary to achieve high standards at all schools.
b. DPS principals are highly valued, strong leaders who promote cultures of excellence in their buildings.
i. Principals evaluate all teachers yearly to ensure maximally effective classroom instruction. Principals are responsible for developing teachers’ capacity for excellent instruction and subsequent student achievement and/or for adjusting staffing to achieve high standards in all classrooms.
ii. Principals actively guide teachers’ professional development choices based on teachers’ evaluations, teachers’ goals, and curricular needs.
iii. Principals foster excellent working/learning conditions.
iv. Principals foster orderly and safe building environments.
v. Principals foster excellent teaching in their buildings by communicating the expectations for instructional rigor and quality, frequently evaluating teachers’ progress toward expectations, and building teachers’ capacity to meet the expectations through mentoring and targeted professional development.
vi. Principals receive support and resources from DPS to build cultures of excellence within their buildings.
c. DPS teachers are highly valued professionals who foster high student achievement through excellent and engaging instruction.
i. DPS professional development offerings support teachers to reach pinnacles of teaching excellence (e.g., National Board Certification, advanced degrees, AIG certification, AVID certification).
ii. DPS professional development offerings are targeted to match instructional initiatives for high student achievement.
iii. DPS teachers work collaboratively to evaluate and improve instructional practices.
iv. DPS teachers are regarded as instructional leaders, and contribute to decision making at the building and district level.
v. DPS teachers receive support and resources from DPS to promote student learning and high achievement.
3012.3 Oversight
On an annual basis and at a public meeting, the Superintendent shall present to the Board a written report of the State of Our Schools and any recommendations needing action by the Board. The Superintendent will utilize a data gathering method that provides up-to-date measures of the standards listed above that will be compiled in school score cards.
3012.4 Policy Review and Evaluation
This policy will be reviewed every four years by the Board.
Cross Reference: Policies 3010, 3011, 3012
Legal References:
Adopted: August 27, 2009
