Superintendent Greene sent out an email blast touting the district's improvement in graduation, a stat that has steadily gone up for a decade. This is my question, can any of you point to a specific policy that she implemented that has led to our increase? I can, and that’s the district requiring teachers to promote students whether they deserve it or not. Like with COVID numbers, the district's focus is appearing to do good rather than actually doing good.
Before I continue, I just want to say I am not for failing kids. I think we should do everything we can to promote them. I guess a difference between me, and the district is I believe teachers are already doing so.
Two years ago, I did a series of blogs about how the district was limiting teachers' ability to fail students.
https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2019/05/dcps-fails-students-when-it-refuses-to.html
Then we shouldn’t forget that Greene left a graduation scandal in her last district.
https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2018/12/coal-in-superintendent-greenes-stocking.html
When Times-Union writer Emily Bloch posted a piece on Facebook about our graduation rates improving.
She received a few dozen comments, overwhelmingly from teachers and overwhelmingly negative. They spoke about:
Grades being changed behind their backs.
Being cajoled or encouraged to pass children who didn’t deserve it.
And how the number of hoops teachers must go through to retain a child was daunting.
Like I said, I am not for failing children though I am for children learning a work ethic, and there can be consequences for their actions. Likewise, I am for putting in place resources to help children pass. We might not want to admit it, but some of our kids need a little longer to master material, and for some of our kids, their behavior is standing in their way to be successful.
Growing up, I went to summer school twice to remediate math. Instead of pushing kids through, we should say to families, hey, we are going to have to hold them back, or they are going to have to spend the next six weeks in school catching up and hope they do the right thing.* Throw in some extended day and behavioral assistance, and I think we have a recipe for success.
Another thing we can do is to eliminate grades things that can be manipulated. People and I get it to want the bonus and the better grade, so some will do what it takes to get it, even if that isn't the right or proper thing to do.
It is way past time DCPS changed its priority from appearing to do good to doing good.
*I think we should have a ton of summer school, but at the same time, we can’t make it drudgery. We must have recess and electives to balance out the day. Now some people might say we don’t have the money for that; well, friends, where is the super and board out fighting to make sure we have the resources we need? Nowhere as far as I can tell.
It's funny how students get the benefit of the doubt while teachers get the shaft.
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