Once upon a time I attended a workshop on observing and evaluating teachers. At one point the presenter, Steve Clem of the Association of Independent Schools of New England, pointedly inquired, "Of course, you are evaluating teachers against your school's published standards for effective teaching, yes? You have those, don't you?"

Everyone in the room looked at their shoes. Everyone. Displeased with my shoes and with myself as one of those in charge of our evaluation program, I started thinking about how we could do better. By the end of that school year we had our standards (see pages 9-11 here, a slightly out of date but accurate source), generated and approved by faculty in a process of which I am still inordinately proud.

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