Dumb it down, dumb it down
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Can you increase rigor without pain?
Tried to increase rigor (which does not mean making it harder but it does mean more work for the student) because we were told to. All of the teachers explained that when we step it up, the grades will (short term) go down. We stepped it up. Grades went down. Parents screamed. Adminstrators caved. We are cleaning up the mess.
Somehow test scores are supposed to go up when the rigor isn't there.
Called parents last night. How do you increase rigor when parents say (their child is failing): "You're too strict. They have lives outside of school and you need to make it easier for them to pass."
How do I get their child to pass my class when the child will not turn things in? Asked the mother that. Response? "She lost it."
I asked every day for 2 weeks.
I left three messages for the mother to call me back.
I explained (in each message I left) that the window to fix the grade was set by someone other than me. And was closing.
Now that I finally reached the parent - and I cannot change the grade in the system - it is somehow my fault.
Someone will be calling Les Nessman - the new AP - to complain that I am too mean.
Someone needs to grow a pair and tell the parents that we are doing their children a serious disservice if we do dumb it down.
Now the researchers are saying it is a brain problem. That's probably my fault too.
6 comments:
How frustrating! I'm sure you documented the calls. What can you do? There are many parents who like to complain, but don't actually want to do the work. Like their kids.
That balance between high expectations and making the class too difficult isn't easy.
Keep doing your best. It's all you can do.
i teach honors and sophomore english. i am rigorous, i am demanding, but i temper that with kindness and understanding...i work up to being as firm as i want. example: the first few weeks of school i take things late, i remind every two seconds, i take all excuses as i wean them away from this...somebody taught it to them, i can't fault the students for that. i require them to think (that is rigor)with the little they are asked to do and i call parents and call parents and talk to my department head (who teaches the classes above mine) and i don't just do what i can to make them have an easy 'a'...they have to earn the 'a', but they know that i have their best interest at heart and they know that i like and care for them. most importantly i don't back down...ever...
keep on increasing the rigor, there will be rewards in the end (ie. we're the only school in our district that isn't in hot water with the state) and i use those rewards as leverage to push a little harder! :D
The school my children attended (last one graduated in 2009) was great at dumbing things down! The penalty for late work was so minor that there was no incentive to get anything done on time. Indecipherable handwriting, shoddy work, no effort - all were rewarded with above-average grades. I was the rare parent who complained to school staff about them being TOO easy, but to no avail. It was a rude awakening when they got to college and had to prepare classwork on their own, on time, and to a certain standard.
Our school bragged that the Junior class in that particular year had 99% honor role participation. It's not hard to make the honor role when the standards are so low! It looks good on paper, but in reality it is meaningless.
The entire "no child left behind" concept is a failure. Life will definitely leave them behind if they are not equipped to keep up. Stick to your guns and keep pushing your students. You're doing them a favor.
This is an excellent post. I write often about education and found your perspective real and fresh. Thank you!
(visiting from 6WS)
I can't believe a parent would say you were too strict and a child had a life beyond school; my opinion, school comes first; do well there and then you can have a life. Parents don't realize they are jeopardizing their kids in their later years of schooling and adulthood.
betty
These are such great six words...they really say it all!
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