Grade Responsibility

Comments  14

• Kim 27 Aug, 07:41 AM

  I was just talking to a friend who is a high school teacher about this very issue a few days ago.  With two young boys that are not yet in school, I too was unaware that this amount of information was available for parents.  My first response was "Great!  I can check on my kids' progress every day if I want to!"  However, upon further reflection, it seems like our kids need to have a chance to learn how much harder it is to achieve a final grade that they are proud of when they (unbeknownst to mom and dad) miss a few assignments or fail a couple quizzes.  Furthermore, my friend said that, as a teacher, she can see which parents access the website that has the grades and how frequently they access it.  She spoke of the reputation that these parents may get amongst the teachers.
  
  While it is certainly better than being completely disconnected from your kids' success in school, I do think that it is micromanagement.  That being said, I foresee that it will be very hard for me to resist the urge to check the grades daily.

• Michelle Wallace 27 Aug, 07:59 AM

  Children need to be held more responsible without the micromanaging of parents and teachers.  We need to be working to raising independent, self sufficient adults.  Unfortunately, I have observed too many children that were coddled during their early years, fail when they enter college and have trouble adjusting to adulthood.  

• Beth 27 Aug, 08:12 AM

  I'm a teacher at the high school level. Last year, we started a service that allows parents to see up-to-the-minute grades for their student in every class. The parents now have access to our gradebooks the minute a grade is entered!

• Ann 27 Aug, 08:14 AM

  We will be homeschooling, my 4 year old starting this fall.  (She just had eye surgery so we're waiting for a few weeks to start.)
  
  
  I hope to not be a micro manager... I see a lot of my friends making sure their kids do their home work... But I think it is important that they learn responsibility.  Of course, being her teacher, I will know how she is doing already. But I hope to be able to instill in her the ability to know when she needs to do things, and take that job "seriously."  For now... I want her to just enjoy being a kid.  Grades are not as important as learning. For now.

• Sarah 27 Aug, 08:36 AM

  I think that there needs to be a good foundation set for work ethics and studying when kids are young. It would be nice to have the option to check on grades/assignments on an as needed basis, but to know every single grade on every single paper could definetly be considering micro managing.

• Beth 27 Aug, 08:41 AM

  I'm a teacher at the high school level. Last year, we started a service that allows parents to see up-to-the-minute grades for their student in every class. The parents now have access to our gradebooks the minute a grade is entered!

• Jacie 27 Aug, 08:53 AM

  I find myself in the same boat as Ann.  I am homeschooling my daughters, my eldest is 4 and starting right now.  Since she is 4, most of the work we do together and I try not to be super strict about it but as her teacher I know right where she is in her learning. I think that it will be more important to makes sure that I, as her teacher, remember that it is her responsability to do her homework and earn her grades as she gets older.  I'll have to step out of the teacher role a bit and just ask "Did you do your homework?" and "Is there anything about it I can help you understand it better?" instead of  the "Have you written that 4 page pager on photosynthesis yet?  Don't forget your abstract young lady!  Get moving!" that I might be inclined towards as her teacher.
  

• Melissa 27 Aug, 09:25 AM

  Since my daughter just started kindergarten, I'm obviously not that concerned yet.  But I could understand wanting to know grades immediately if your child is struggling in a particular subject and you're trying to work on improving grades.  I think the more stuff online we're able to connect with the schools, the better.

• Kristin 27 Aug, 09:29 AM

  I think there is a fine line to walk; the line between being involved in your child's education and being aware of what is going on versus knowing every grade that they make on each paper.  As parents I believe we need to be aware of how our kids are doing and be an encouragement to them, but that doesn't necessarily mean we need to know every move and grade they make at school. 

• Rana 27 Aug, 09:48 AM

  I feel it is a good idea to keep up on your kids' grades.  With class sizes larger, the "middle of the road" student, could easily slip, with out much notice.  If a parent is on top of the grades, a problem may be solved before it gets too big.

• Lorena 27 Aug, 10:16 AM

  I guess every parent is different.  Some will like to know the details and some don't.  It should be deal on individual basis.  We all have different priorities.

• Peggy 27 Aug, 10:42 AM

  If you do get the information please be responsible with it. You may cause your child to become anxious and nervous, which doesn't help them to be successful.

• Tracy 27 Aug, 03:45 PM

  I don't see anything wrong with parents who want to be involved in their children's education.  My daughter is just in kindy, so this doesn't really apply to me as of yet -- but I think it's harsh of teachers to judge parents who want to know what's going on with their children in the classroom.  I come from a family of public educators, and you hear all the time about how so many parents are completely clueless about what's going on with little Johnny or Susie when they are in school.  But, you know, god forbid the parents ask the teachers to tell them.

• Danielle Perry 3 Sep, 06:13 PM

  As a teacher, I say, check those grades!!! It is vital that students see the importance of what they do every single day, not just tests and projects.  I love it when parents want to know and pay attention to what the child is doing in the classroom.  The parents that are involved are generally have successful students.  There is no such thing as too much attention.  Your children want what they are doing to be as important to you as it is to them.  If you do not pay attention to the grades, then they will see school as having no real value.  PLEASE do all teachers a huge favor-check in with and monitor your children.  They need it and they will thrive from that attention.