School leaders have always looked forward to the Fall and the beginning of a new school year. Staff and students return refreshed and excited for a year of new learning, making new friends, and connecting with the entire school community. School leaders also know they will put in countless hours planning and preparing for a successful Fall season. While we had all hoped for the impact of COVID to be in our rearview mirror as we began the 2021-2022 school year, the reality has been quite the opposite. On top of all the extra work this unique autumn season has created, school leaders are still responsible for observing and evaluating their staff. While this may seem overwhelming, there are very few state-required dates and deadlines required with TPEP.
In a recent conversation with Sue Anderson, Director of OSPI’s Educator Effectiveness, she reminded me of the required Fall and early Winter TPEP dates. Sue has been a school leader and certainly understands the demands placed on principals and assistant principals. With the frenetic pace school leaders are keeping, they may think they are behind, or missing important TPEP timelines. Here is some quick info for you as you continue to plan out your observation and evaluation schedules. Take a deep breath, you have plenty of time to complete any TPEP requirements.
The state-mandated evaluation dates between now and May 15 (RCW and WAC) are few:
Remember, this is an observation, followed up with a conference to go over the observation with the teacher. You most likely have already done this with your new staff members. Make sure you document the date of the observation and the date of the discussion/conference with the teacher about the observation,.
While these are the only state-required dates and timelines, your district may have established other timelines/dates through a CBA. If you have any questions regarding TPEP, do not hesitate to reach out to OSPI or AWSP. We are happy to help.