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Two issues ago, my column titled: Why We Loathe Teachers opened a floodgate of educator feedback. Many topics were as expected. However, one stood out as unique, yet it’s a common theme of parent vs. teacher battles.
We all know that life for a teacher is not easy. Perhaps this is an understatement; it’s more akin to a daily battleground of competing interests. Students want easy grades; parents expect nothing less than A’s; administrators wish to please the parents, and the teachers’ integrity is often compromised.
Trying to provide a well-rounded education while meeting the demands of standardized testing, college preparedness, and curriculum guidelines is exhausting. Balancing these conflicting interests has affected teacher’s mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
They’re toast.
Why? Grading is a chaotic power struggle orchestrated by magicians with bumbling administrators lurking behind the curtain. There’s no point in trying to understand the absurdity and the magic of a world where A+ grades are supposed to materialize from thin air — conjured by parental pressures and contributions.
IT’S GUT-WRENCHING
Grading periods always made him sick to his stomach.
As a parent of four students, he knows the competition for college admission way too well.
Yet, as a parent, he never once sided with his children. He told them to study harder next time if they earned less than expected grades. Not once did he ever harass or bully a teacher.
But sadly enough, Parental grading pressure is why he retired last year. Quit with a once bestowed title of Teacher of the Year.
He got worn down and finally waved the white flag. He could no longer be the gatekeeper when parents wrestled with and trampled on him.
Burned out, he was. No longer willing or able to keep fighting. Now, he has the time to reflect on this crazy trend in American education.
What is the value of an A grade if everyone has one?
IT’S INCONSEQUENTIAL
When grades are given without merit, the distinction between excellence and mediocrity blurs. This devaluation diminishes the motivation for students to strive for excellence and undermines the credibility of America’s entire educational system.
An A-grade loses its value when handed out like sushi at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Vital educational mechanisms are thwarted, and college admissions are challenged in trying to differentiate exceptional applicants from the rest. This creates an uncertain admissions environment, where other factors like standardized test scores and extracurricular activities may carry greater weight.
The consequence is a generation of students who may graduate with high grades but need more essential skills and knowledge to excel in higher education and the workforce. This impacts every aspect of American Society. Think about it for a second.
IT’S HOLLOW
The diminished value placed on excellence in education has been one of teachers’ exasperations as educators trying to maintain a rigorous curriculum and grading system that awards excellence for outstanding work.
In the past, an A grade meant the highest level of achievement or performance in a course or on an assignment. Students earned their grades through hard work, diligence, and a thorough understanding of the subject matter.
In parent-controlled academic institutions, this is no longer the case.
Parental interference upsets everyone – except the guilty parents.
Sadly for society, parents are not just interfering with what is taught in the classroom but grade allocation as well. This is atrocious if we want our country to foster a generation of self-reliant, critical thinkers prepared to face future challenges.
IT’S UNDERMINING
When parents exert undue influence on grade allocation, they inadvertently undermine the very essence of education. A solid education isn’t about handing out grades like soccer trophies; it’s about nurturing intellectual curiosity, perseverance, and the ability to grapple with complex ideas.
It’s about teaching students to think for themselves, question, innovate, and learn from their mistakes. When grades are inflated or manipulated, the opportunity for these valuable life lessons is lost.
Such an educational system driven by external pressures and unrealistic expectations fails to prepare students for the real world. In our increasingly interconnected world, a nation’s competitiveness is closely tied to the quality of its education system.
So, yes, we must restore the integrity of education. This requires a collective effort from educators, parents and policymakers to ensure that grades reflect genuine achievement and that the pursuit of knowledge is at the forefront of our educational goals — not parental pressure.
IT’S DANGEROUS
Today’s educational landscape is indeed fraught with competing interests. Yet, with this and other issues, we are losing sight of our ultimate goal: to raise our future generation to understand the meaning of excellence and to provide a meaningful and rigorous education that rewards excellence in academic endeavors and critical thinking.
This is an urgent matter. Every teacher should maintain their integrity in their grading policies — as long as they can.
His lasted twenty-five years.
This column is by Ritchie Lucas, Founder/CEO of the non-profit The Student Success Project. He can be reached by email at ritchie@studentsuccessproject.org and on Facebook as The Student Success Project.
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