Our host, Rick Karash, commented on the Employee Ranking thread and asked
us to help find the learning by summarizing. Some snippets from Rick's
comments:
>[Host's Note: Hmm... Let's step back and notice what's happening here.
>Notice some of the feelings and how they are expressed after a long
>exchange which didn't convince either "side" to change their mind. ....
>It strikes me that there is something big going on here. If we are
>serious about this, we'll go for it, but what is it? What would it take
>to make a break through?
>
>Could someone please try to summarize, and do so fairly, what are the key
>issues here? What's kept this thread so vigorous without a clean
>resolution? I hope we are serious enough to keep at it; I think there's
>gold in here somewhere.
I am too tired to attempt to summarize the thread. So some ramblings from
a tired mind. I have a possible explanation for some of the "fuel" in
this issue.
Stereotyping and genralizations. In my profession, and in society,we have
made great strides in reducing the stereotypes and genrealizations about
racial/ethnci groups. We have made great strides in reducing stereotypes
about gender. When I say we are reducing I mean what we speak, at least
in public, about stereotypes. Some people keep their stereotypes of
groups, but only speak of them in private or in hushed tones in groups.
While there is some real progress in racial or gender stereotypes, there
continues to be rampant use of stereotypes in other areas. In our
society, we often here generalizations about politicians, newspaper
reporters, and lawyers. In education, I hear all sorts of stereotyped
statements about groups such as parents, teachers, principals, and worst
of all - central office staff members. While we might be sanctioned for
stereotyped statements about race or gender, we are free to use such
statements about role groups.
In our discussion of ranking, could one of the factors that provide energy
to this issue be the use of generalized statements.
Something else that might fuel this issue is that many, if not most of us,
have had personal experiences with performance evaluations. As we
generealize our experiences, we become aware of not only our thoughts, but
our feelings from our experiences.
Good night and thanks for reading.
David Wilkinson
School Improvement Specialist
Des Moines Public Schools (IA)
Davidwilk@aol.com
--Davidwilk <Davidwilk@aol.com>
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