Beverly Schools Adopt SMARTIE Goals, Streamlined Evaluations for 2020-2021 Year

BEVERLY -- November 4, 2020, Beverly School Committee subcommittee reviews equity-focused educator evaluation overhaul and strong professional development results. The Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Life Subcommittee heard Wednesday from Assistant Superintendent Dorothy Flaherty that the state has streamlined its teacher evaluation rubric to six focus indicators and updated the standard SMART goal framework to "SMARTIE," requiring that educator goals explicitly address inclusivity and equity. Of 442 exit-ticket responses from the district's November 3 professional development day, 82 percent of respondents rated the offerings as meeting their learning needs, and two follow-up sessions on anti-racism topics led by new Director of Opportunity, Access, and Equity Dr. Andre Morgan filled to their 100-person capacity. Flaherty also noted that Superintendent Suzanne Chirochek now has state authority to call remote learning snow days this year, avoiding makeup days in June, provided widespread power outages do not prevent student access.