Ineptitude, Conformity, and Obfuscation

This book tells the story of teacher evaluation from the perspective of a high school principal, one who has been an active participant in the process. Teacher evaluation is a fraud and this book explains why and how it can be fixed. This book begins with a historical perspective, followed by a description of what is wrong with the currently applied process. It ends with suggestions for making the process workable and productive.

This is my kind of book. As an experienced educator, I resonate with the author’s assertions, with his documentation, and with his suggested solutions. Yes, the book is about evaluation, but more importantly it is about leadership in education. Giordano writes with an informal, entertaining, yet clear and decisive style that takes on current educational orthodoxies of permissiveness, nonjudgementalism, and “school climate” based cultures. Some of his conclusions may seem obvious while others are very insightful. All make the reader think and be challenged to action. This should be required reading in all educational leadership programs., Dr. Giordano has a remarkable insight into the challenges that public school principals face today. In our schools, succumbing to the fads and political correctness of the day, we are harming our students and, as a result, our country’s future. His book is a must-read for anyone involved in education, and particularly those making decisions about education. It is my hope that Dr. Giordano’s book will be a catalyst for educators to begin making the changes he suggests, those that will result in better schooling for our students, Dr. Giordano presents a thorough analysis of the system of teacher evaluation used in American public schools, concluding that the system is both inefficient and ineffective, and offers insightful recommendations on how to improve the system for evaluating teacher performance. I was impressed by the depth of Giordano’s understanding of the issue, and the clarity and insight of his presentation and recommendations. This book will provide a foundation for a much needed discussion on improving the system that should be of great interest to educators, administrators, and parents.

Dr. Richard J. Giordano worked for over twenty five years in public education as a teacher and secondary school principal. Having left the public schools, he developed a unique educational program, that to help university student-athletes maintain good academic grade point averages while competing in sports. Beginning with football players at Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame, his “Making up Crap” learning heuristic was later employed to help both male and female athletes at other universities in a variety of sports. His work with student-athletes resulted in his first book: Super-Charged Learning: How Wacky Thinking and Sports Psychology Make It Happen. www.superchargedlearning.com. Dr. Giordano resides in Colorado. He is a frequent guest on the Rush to Reason radio show in Denver, speaking to the cultural and educational issues that impact the public schools in Colorado and around the nation. He can be reached by e-mail at: drgioman@q.com