Growth Plans
A growth plan can be issued to a teacher
any time the principal believes there is a need for
improvement. State appraisal rules require that a growth
plan be developed if two domains are scored as "below expectations" or one domain is scored as
"unsatisfactory." However, this rule does not prohibit the
issuance of a growth plan for other reasons. A principal
has the option of placing an employee on a growth plan
even in the absence of a poor evaluation score or any
other prior warnings. Of course, it would be preferable
for a principal to discuss the need for improvement with
an employee prior to issuing a growth plan. However, this
is not required by law; it is just a matter of good
management skills.
Keep in mind that a growth plan is not, in
and of itself, evidence of wrongdoing or poor job
performance. The existence of a growth plan alone
ordinarily will not damage your teaching record. On the
other hand, failing to comply with the growth plan
could be a problem and could constitute grounds for
nonrenewal or termination. Thus, it's not the existence
of the growth plan that matters so much as the way in
which you respond to it.
If a growth plan contains specific
directives that are clearly measurable and reasonably
attainable, often the best response is to comply with the growth
plan and to document your compliance. On the other hand,
if the requirements are unreasonable or based on untrue
information, you may submit an informal response to your
appraiser or a
grievance to your supervisor challenging the
growth plan. You must continue to comply with the growth plan until
you receive another directive or until the grievance has
been resolved.
If you choose to submit a response or
grievance, you must do so according to the procedures and
deadlines set forth in your district's grievance policy. Therefore, you should obtain a copy of that grievance
policy, and be aware that the filing timelines tend to be
very short.
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