Managing Teacher Performance in Today’s Schools

Abstract

The Tomorrow’s Schools reforms created confusion as to exactly who is the employer of teachers. In terms of the 1989 Education Act, it is the Board of Trustees. In practice, hiring and firing is likely to be done by the principal, and the Ministry of Education represents the employer party in collective employment contract negotiations. Drawing on the author’s personal experience of managing Ministry of Education contracts in performance management, this article: 1. considers whether the imposed requirements for the performance management 2. of teachers are consistent with the self-managing school framework; and 3. evaluates the effectiveness of the regulations in enhancing teacher performance.