There has been a lot of talk recently about failure rates due to district policy changes. I know on my campus it is the "hot" topic administrators keep pushing teachers to address. Do you have your interventions? Are you providing endless opportunities for your student? It is getting to the point where I am feeling pushed not to fail any students. What lesson does that teach our students if we give them a free pass?
I met a principal yesterday in a different district that also has high failure rates but she isn't trying to pass them all, she isn't even trying to make more work for her teachers. This principal has one class where 50% of the students are failing the semester because the students did not turn in their work. So rather than put more paperwork on the teacher, she met with each of these students and talked to them about why they are not failing. That makes sense, we need to address the student behaviors that lead to these failures. We need to address the real problem and determine a solution for it. I think you address the teacher when it is an issue with the teaching practice. If it is the teacher expectations, grading methods, or class procedures, fine fix that, sometimes it is. Often though students are apathetic, behind, or absent that lead to failures so we need to address that student. The problem is that the policy DISD just put into place still does not do that, it is just more the teacher has to do. It just makes so much sense to me to address the student.
I met a principal yesterday in a different district that also has high failure rates but she isn't trying to pass them all, she isn't even trying to make more work for her teachers. This principal has one class where 50% of the students are failing the semester because the students did not turn in their work. So rather than put more paperwork on the teacher, she met with each of these students and talked to them about why they are not failing. That makes sense, we need to address the student behaviors that lead to these failures. We need to address the real problem and determine a solution for it. I think you address the teacher when it is an issue with the teaching practice. If it is the teacher expectations, grading methods, or class procedures, fine fix that, sometimes it is. Often though students are apathetic, behind, or absent that lead to failures so we need to address that student. The problem is that the policy DISD just put into place still does not do that, it is just more the teacher has to do. It just makes so much sense to me to address the student.
RSS Feed