Rethinking K-12 Evaluations: A Principal’s Take on Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Evaluating staff in K-12 schools is a crucial yet often mishandled process. Many school leaders unintentionally make key mistakes that hinder staff growth, create frustration, and ultimately fail to support teachers and staff effectively.
In our recent webinar, Is Your Evaluation System Failing? 3 Critical Mistakes K-12 Leaders Make (and How to Fix Them), we sat down with Nathan Tuttle, Principal at Matchbook Learning in Indianapolis, to discuss how to improve evaluation systems and avoid common pitfalls.
Why is using a one-size-fits-all rubric for evaluations problematic?
Tuttle: If we don’t have solid, sound evaluation systems, it becomes a disaster. You can create animosity among your team because you’re promoting someone from an ambiguous standpoint, or you’re letting someone go without clear documentation to back it up. It’s a huge problem.
He elaborated that different staff members—from teachers to administrators to ancillary staff—have unique roles that require tailored evaluation criteria.
Tuttle: If we operated with everyone on a general education teacher evaluation system, it simply wouldn’t apply. A front office assistant, a special education teacher, and a principal all have different responsibilities. Using a single rubric across the board makes it seem like administration doesn’t truly understand the roles of their staff.
At Matchbook Learning, Nathan ensures that each role has an evaluation rubric suited to their specific duties.
Tuttle: We have about nine different staff groupings, each with its own rubric. I worked with the Evaluation team at Education Advanced to identify the right rubrics and then had department heads review them to ensure they were applicable.
Why is goal setting often overlooked in evaluations, and how can leaders fix this?
Tuttle: In many schools, goal setting is either non-existent or treated as a formality. It’s often just a ‘check-the-box’ activity rather than something meaningful.
At Matchbook Learning, goals are integrated into evaluations to drive growth.
Tuttle: The rubric is about 50% of the evaluation. The other 50% is based on goals and data. You can’t just rate someone’s performance based on observation alone; you need measurable outcomes.
Tuttle ensures that each staff member’s goals align with the school’s priorities.
Tuttle: I tie all goals back to our school improvement plan. Our social workers and counselors, for instance, set goals related to reducing chronic absenteeism. Our Director of Operations has financial stability metrics to meet. It’s all connected to what moves the school forward.
What strategies help prevent communication breakdowns in the evaluation process?
Tuttle: One of the biggest complaints teachers and staff have is that they never get feedback. Or worse, they don’t understand how they’re being evaluated.
To address this, Tuttle has implemented a transparent and structured communication process.
Tuttle: We created an evaluation guidebook that outlines everything. It tells staff when they’ll be observed, what rubric will be used, and what the expectations are. That way, everyone knows the process upfront.
In addition to formal evaluations, Tuttle emphasizes regular check-ins.
Tuttle: New staff have a 90-day check-in with their supervisor. It’s not just ‘hit the ground running’ and hope for the best. We need to make sure they’re supported early on.
He also advises against rigidly scheduling observations.
Tuttle: We don’t pre-schedule evaluations. Instead, I let my staff know they’ll be observed within a two-week window. That way, I’m not locked into a specific time, and teachers aren’t putting on a show for an announced visit. It gives a more authentic look at their work.
Final Thoughts
When asked for his biggest takeaway for K-12 leaders, Tuttle emphasized the importance of intentionality in evaluations.
Tuttle: An evaluation system should be more than a compliance exercise. It should be a tool for growth, accountability, and meaningful feedback. Customizing rubrics, setting clear goals, and maintaining strong communication all contribute to making evaluations a valuable process.
His advice to other school leaders?
Tuttle: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Many larger districts have evaluation guidebooks that you can adapt. And use platforms, like Evaluation, that help automate and structure the process. It makes the evaluation process much more effective and professional.
Want to see how a customized evaluation system will benefit your school? Schedule a demo of Evaluation, powered by Education Advanced, today!
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