There is a hullaballoo in my home state this week – well, it’s
actually been going on for some time. A
school district has adopted a Standards Based Grading (SBG) system, and parents
are outraged. In return, teachers are
defensive. Outraged + defensive = never
good. I have read some of the news
articles, the summary of the SBG that the district has adopted, some tweets
from both sides, and I have some suggestions for everyone when it comes to school
district or teacher practices or student performance.
First, my credentials:
twenty-one years in education in three states in suburban and urban
schools, in public and independent education; a mother of three: one who was
top ten percent of his class and whose homework I might have checked once in
kindergarten; one who is a solid student who takes on way too much but does it
all well by saving much until the last minute or forming study groups; and, one
who is diagnosed ADHD and just this week has begun passing middle school
math.
Second, a guiding principle that I have used my whole career
as both a teacher and a parent: the
teacher is the expert on the material and instruction and the parent is the
expert on the child. Together, we educate
the child.
Third: Slogans don't help anyone, and every education-related analogy breaks down quickly.
Whether you are a parent, teacher, or student, I implore you
to consider these basic ideas when you have conversations with the other
constituents in education.
***************
Sticking Point: Parents demand changes to a classroom,
building, or district policy. Teachers want
to tell parents to get out of their classrooms.
Parents: You have
been through school. Going to school
does not make you a teacher, just as going to a doctor’s office does not make
you a doctor. Communicate your concerns
clearly and politely. Then, listen to
the teacher’s/principal’s/superintendent’s response.
Teachers: You have
been specifically trained to educate.
Your job is not just to teach the students, but you must also teach the
parents and community about what you are doing in your classroom and why. Communicate clearly, consistently, and
continually with all of your constituents.
Students: Tell the
truth about what the teachers do and say.
Also, tell the truth about your own work ethic and attitude toward the
class or school in general.
Sticking Point: Parents feel there are too few or too many
opportunities to re-take a test or to turn in late homework without penalty.
Parents: If there is
an allowance for a re-take or a do-over, this does not mean your child will
fail in the workplace and end up selling crack on the street. Education is all about do-overs. (Anyone ever re-take Calc II in college? How about Organic Chem? Think about it.)
Teachers: Students
should be allowed to do-over some but getting to do-over everything is unrealistic. Let students earn back a
certain percentage of points missed; let them show you what they know. Remember, homework is practice and
assessments are chances to allow your students to show you what they know.
Students: Study. Try.
Pay attention. In many classes in many
schools it takes real effort to fail. Get to work. Go for help if you’re lost. Start a study group.
Sticking Point: Teachers don’t like the district grading
scale - or – Parents don’t like a teacher’s
grading scale. Different people want an
A-F scale, others want 100-0 scale, others want a 1-4 scale.
Parents: It does not
matter what grading scale is used. If
the students know it from the outset of the class, they can rise or fall to the
occasion.
Teachers: Be fair and
consistent in your grading. Know your
grading scale (wherever it came from). Remember
that everything you do must have a reason, including your grading rubrics.
Students: Don’t
pretend you never read the syllabus.
Most teachers read it aloud to you and had you and your parents sign it. If you are ever confused about the grading or
you think something has been mismarked – go in after school, privately to talk
to the teacher. Do not try to haggle out
your grade during class.
Sticking Point: Parents are upset because some homework isn’t
graded or weighted as they feel it should be.
Parents: Some
homework is practice of what was presented in class. Sometimes such homework simply earns a “check.” Just like in life – sometimes you just do the
laundry because you have to, not because you are getting a reward for washing
everyone’s dirty socks.
Teachers: All
homework, even the “check” homework, should be meaningful and geared towards
mastery of the material at hand. Explain
from the outset of the class what kind of homework is just for a “check.”
Students: Do all
homework.
Sticking Point: Teachers offer some, too much, or too little
extra credit. Parents are upset at whichever
way that pendulum is swinging.
Parents: Extra credit
or bonus isn’t bad – it offers students a chance to go above and beyond the
basics. Do you leave an extra tip at a
restaurant for a server who goes above and beyond? Encourage your child to do extra credit.
Teachers: Offer extra
credit fairly and to everyone. Make sure it is asking for “above and beyond”
knowledge or skills, not the basics that everyone should be learning. Don’t
offer it too often or students will become dependent on it.
Students: Do all
extra credit.
Sticking Point: Parents talk teachers down at home; students
adopt a negative attitude toward the teacher or class.
Parents: Do not
disparage the teachers or district or school in front of your child. If you have a concern about a teacher or
classroom, take it to the teacher or classroom.
This is especially important if your children are in elementary
school. Your attitude towards your child’s
school will largely determine her attitude toward her school. If you slip up and criticize in front of your
student, walk the student through your thought process. Something like this: “Well, I don’t see why Mrs. Jones grades that
way; it’s ridiculous.” (student hears this)
“But, I’m not sure I know all the facts, and I’m not a teacher. I do want to understand what is happening
here. I need to learn more.” Then go learn more and get back with the student.
Teachers: Teach. Teach the materials. Be prepared.
Know what you are doing. Always care - even on the days when you are utterly exhausted. Make
your copies the day before you need them.
Teach. Guide the students in learning the material. Prepare, teach, talk, and grade above
reproach.
Students: Learn. Try.
It might be hard. It might not be
your favorite thing, but your job is to learn.
All the subjects.
Sticking Point: “Colleges won’t like it if our
teacher/school/district does this!”
Parents: Colleges don’t
like or dislike anything (except grade inflation, but they can spot that a mile
away.) Colleges simply need to be
informed – they do not and should not hold sway over what should be done in
secondary education.
Teachers: This is
especially for high school teachers:
remember that it all counts for your students. Whether students are going to college or into
a training program or into the work force, your job is to help them be the best
prepared they can be. And, their grades
should always reflect that.
Students: School can
be dumb, boring, and ridiculous. School
can also be interesting, challenging, and mind-blowing. A lot of it is your attitude. We usually find what we are looking for
whether at school or not.
Finally, remember that oftentimes conversations about
education can feel awfully personal. If
a parent complains about a teacher, most often it isn’t personal against the teacher
- it is personal that the parent is
worrying about the child. If a teacher
complains about a parent, it is not personal against the parent – it is
personal about the achievement of the student.
If a student complains about a parent or a teacher, it is because the
student likely has not developed the discernment to see all angles of what is happening. (That’s a nice way of saying students are self-centered.) Because so many precious people are involved
these education conversations feel personal.
It is one of life's great ironies that the profession and setting - the one that affects us individually and societally - seems so incredibly personal. People - adults and students alike - make so much more out of educational conflict than is needed. So, parents, teachers, students, when you have a problem with something at school: step back, take a breath, count to ten, and really articulate the issue and address it. It’s really not personal – it’s education.
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