It is important to be aware of the legal restrictions related to evaluation.
Open Meetings Act, Section 8(a): This allows the board to go into a closed session for the purposes of conducting the superintendent’s evaluation, if he or she makes that request. Many school boards use the evaluation tool only as a work sheet to stimulate their own individual thoughts about the superintendent’s performance in a certain area, and then discard their personal work sheet.
Note that any score sheets or numerical tally sheets completed by individual board members to be compiled by the board president may be FOIA’d by the media or public under the Freedom of Information Act.
Non-renewal of Contract: The Tenure Act requires that a board of education provide notification of the potential of an unsatisfactory performance review and non-renewal of contract by March 31st.
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