At the beginning of the school year, Port Charlotte Middle School’s principal went “out on a limb” after sensing concern among the school’s teachers over a new evaluation system. Using the new standards, principal Demetrius Revelas posted a self-assessment on a Web-based bulletin board that was accessible to every staff member.

“I basically sat down with a clear mind and appraised myself with the new system,” he said. “I wanted to be honest with myself, and I found that I really needed to improve in a variety of ways, particularly in the area of communicating with my teachers.”