ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes that teacher evaluation models are not neutral and objective. It shows how the authors' cultural experiences and interpretive frames impact the way they conceptualize culturally responsive teacher evaluation. The culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) literature emphasizes that the evaluation process is influenced by the cultures of the participants, including the evaluators. The primary focus of the literature on teacher evaluation is on technical and organizational aspects. The technical aspects include definitions of effective teaching; methods, instrumentation, and procedures; evaluator training; and implementation. The organizational aspects include school and/or district goals; resources; and collective bargaining and legal requirements. In the CRE literature, the cultural lenses of evaluators matter. Social identities that impact evaluation include race, language, gender identity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, religion, and abilities, to name a few. CRE requires that “the evaluator spend time reflecting upon his or her own values and how these might influence their work”.
