1. How have you used PMS tools (e.g., SLA forms, templates, or manuals) in your school to support teacher development or supervision?
In my school the SLA forms are signed by all teachers at the beginning of the academic year. Afterwards, they filled on a weekly basis and signed by every teacher and their supervisors at end of every four weeks. A performance review is conducted for each teacher at the end of every term. This review avails the school SMT to know the achievements and areas for improvement for each teacher. Then, the way forward is discussed and agreed for each teacher. For instance, if a teacher falls short of the required attendance >=95%, that performance area becomes a focus to the supervisor in the following term.
2. What challenges have you faced in collecting or interpreting PMS data, and how have you addressed them?
My senior teachers and I do not have challenges in collecting PMS data. The term PMS summaries are usually given to our Cluster Monitors at the end of each term to input in the automated software, and then they given us the percentage scores of every teacher in their different performance areas. The performance reviews should be conducted after the provision of the percentages by the Cluster Monitors (CMs). However, the CMs are not giving feedback to schools. That is the reason many schools are not conducting performance review with their teachers. Some schools would have to calculate the percentages manually of each teacher’s performance area, complete the appropriate column of the performance review section, and afterwards conduct the performance review. This is tedious and as a result, not every school is doing it.
3. In what ways can PMS be used to promote accountability and quality assurance in your school—especially in areas like learner outcomes, staff performance, or resource use?
In private schools, teachers signed a detailed contract with their employer which explains everything about their contract; from salary to working hours, to planning, delivery, absence and so on.
In the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, teachers are just given a single page appointment letter without any details. So, the PMS has provided those missing details about the teachers’ contracts. It clarifies all what is expected of a teacher in terms of attendance, planning, lesson delivery, required competence, administrative compliance, etc.
Can you share a real scenario where applying PMS principles helped improve performance or decision-making in your school?
In my school, I ensure that the SLAs are signed on time and the forms are filled at the end of every week. Every teacher who is falling short in any of the different performance areas would be strictly advised to adjust. Otherwise, disciplinary actions would be taken and no teacher would want that to happen to them. Therefore, at the beginning of the academic year, the teachers who are not fully prepared for the work would keep complaining and gossiping the headteacher and comparing the school to their previous schools where no teacher would be bothered about the SLAs. With firmness and consistency, I would be able to make all the teachers who were indifferent to adapt to the school ethos, which abides by the dictates of the PMS.