If a failing child struggles and works hard and really tries but doesn’t get it, maybe just maybe he should get a D.
In my school, a D was failing. You would have to redo. But never a C, D, or A for effort. We like to blame the child, then the teacher, but what of the parents and community? Doesn’t it take a village to raise a child?
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I have mountains to say about this subject. However, I’ve learned from Chris, blogs revel in concision.
Many factors contribute to a child’s grades. Some students attend tutoring every day of the week and receive accommodations for testing, but receive D’s, and they should receive D’s. Some students sleep most of class, but pull B’s because they’ve made friends with the teacher. Regardless, we must have standards to judge future planning for school systems and to gauge a student’s qualifications for college.
Chris, I think you’re surprised at my hardline stance. No cush here.
Children exposed to parents or community members that are “learners” are the most skilled. In most cases, learning is modeled. If a child’s predominant model, parent or community, does not read, learn new skills/talents regularly, or engage in intellectual conversations with the child, the child is placed at a disadvantage.
Even if a parent does not meet these requirements, some communities do. The public library alone is a wealth of resources for parents at a loss — free children’s learning events, reading groups, art discussions. A major challenge we face as a larger community is helping families see the value and engage in these resources.
If we are going to “stack the deck” in anything, it needs to be our children.
Always kiss teacher-ass. Always.