Uses a dialogue format to critique the arguments of W. Roth and M. Tobin for a radical departure from traditional conceptions and discussions of teacher evaluation. Makes the case that before considering radical new approaches, evaluators should understand strengths and weaknesses of existing models. (SLD)

The emergence of and relationship between two notions in personnel evaluation, merit and worth, are traced. How worth should be evaluated, and whether teacher evaluation is worth what it costs are discussed. Limitations of current approaches to teacher evaluation are reviewed, and the potential of a duties-based approach is noted. (SLD)

The task of teacher personnel policies should be to get good teaching done with justice and economy. The current state of teacher personnel policies is that they are reasonably fair to teachers and extremely unfair to students, parents, and taxpayers. They protect all teachers, but they excessively protect the incompetent teacher. A system of…