Word Attack: “Objective”
objective (adj): not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.
Source: Random House Dictionary
As reformers of all stripes rethink teacher evaluation, and as states try to reduce budget shortfalls by cutting education spending, there have been many discussions about the best way(s) to ensure that we keep the best teachers in their classrooms, and eliminate the worst. Though there is much to be said about the various proposals people have put forth, and though I have strong opinions about most of them, there’s one oversight in the conversation that has been bothering me for months.
It appears that many people don’t quite understand what “objective” means, or are confused about when it’s appropriate to use the term.
For instance, I recently had a conversation with a political staffer, in which we debated the merits (or lack thereof) of using student test scores to evaluate teachers. While arguing in favor the idea, he defaulted to an argument I’ve heard too many times to count: “Well, don’t you agree it
