A school principal sings the praises of one teacher training program, the urban teacher residency, arguing it should serve as a model for a statewide teacher training system.

The principal of the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn argues that any new teacher evaluation system needs to include training and not merely rely on student scores.

A principal writes that he is concerned that a large portion of a teacher’s evaluation is to be taken out of the hands of principals. “I am disturbed by this, not just because I think this will lead to inaccurate ratings and will pressure teachers in unproductive ways (it will), but also because I believe it speaks to a growing distrust of or disrespect for principals,” Phil Weinberg says.

With final deadlines for many college applications approaching, many students are scrambling to finalize their packages. Students at the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn started this process four years ago, its principal writes. And it all culminated a few weeks ago, in Professional Day.

When the city first began issuing progress reports, they had the potential to spur innovation and the sharing of best practices that would improve all schools. Instead, a principal writes, they have sparked competition and confusion. And they are fundamentally flawed.

A school is built upon shared purposes, and it should be the same throughout the city school system, a principal writes. But with all the governing changes and the forced competition among schools, he says, “I don’t think it is possible to create a shared sense of purpose in the midst of such upheaval.”

At the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Brooklyn, a principal welcomes the new school year and the Common Core State Standards, which he says will allow teachers to focus on what they teach, rather than on testing and accountability. Also coming to his school: a new experiment to provide teachers with more feedback about how to teach.