Opinion ID: 1946901
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: jule carmody

Text: The Board also voted to suspend one of four teachers in its music department. Jule Carmody, a teacher in the school district's music department, had an unweighted efficiency rating for the 1975-76 school year that was twenty-three points lower than the lowest unweighted efficiency rating of the other three music teachers. Carmody's efficiency rating was neither supported by anecdotal records nor based on classroom observation. Carmody had the second highest years of employment among the four teachers in the department and the lowest weighted efficiency rating in the department. The district superintendent determined that an eight point difference in efficiency ratings was substantial, and suspended Carmody, since she had the lowest weighted efficiency rating. At the hearing de novo, the hearing court held that Carmody was improperly suspended, since she was suspended on the basis of an efficiency rating that was unsupported by anecdotal records. In reversing the holding of the hearing court, the Commonwealth Court held that, in the case of suspensions, efficiency ratings need not be supported by anecdotal records. Carmody asserts that a professional employe may not be suspended, where the suspension is based upon efficiency ratings that are unsupported by anecdotal records. We agree. As stated previously, suspensions must be based upon the efficiency rank of the employes made in accordance with the standards and regulations set forth on the rating cards prepared by the Department of Public Instruction. Pa.Stat. Ann. tit. 24, § 11-1125(a). The rating card prepared by the Department of Public Instruction, Rating Card DEBE-333, states, Ratings should have the support of anecdotal records. We agree with the Commonwealth Court's holding in New Castle Area School District v. Bair, 28 Pa.Commw. 240, 368 A.2d 345 (1977), wherein it held that the procedure of supporting ratings by anecdotal records is mandatory; thus, efficiency ratings unsupported by anecdotal records are invalid. [10] This rule prevents the very inequity that was present in this case. Since Carmody's efficiency rating was neither supported by anecdotal records nor based on classroom observations, it is difficult to conclude that her rating was based on anything but conjecture. Given Carmody's seniority, it was improper to suspend her. We, therefore, reverse the Commonwealth Court's order upholding the suspension of appellants and reinstate the order of the court of common pleas that reinstated the appellants to their teaching positions together with back-pay and all benefits of employment. NIX, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which McDERMOTT, J., joins.