Teacher is failing or all kids?

[Anonymous]

If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

[Anonymous]

Your subject line is nonsensical. Are your emails equally tough to decipher? Maybe that is why they aren't responding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

What is your question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

What is your question?

I believe it's the following:

"If the average grade in an Honors class for two tests in a row was 40%, who is really failing - the teacher or the kids? Parents have reached out to the teacher and gotten no response on what's happening in the classroom."

Personally, I'd want to know from the teacher whether these tests are practice tests or whether they count towards a quarterly grade. Presumably the kids in an Honors class are used to working harder and the average grade on a test should not be an F."

[Anonymous]

How is this acceptable instruction? Maybe two tests isn't a concern, but if it continues, someone higher-up should be watching the grade book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

What is your question?

I believe it's the following:

"If the average grade in an Honors class for two tests in a row was 40%, who is really failing - the teacher or the kids? Parents have reached out to the teacher and gotten no response on what's happening in the classroom."

Personally, I'd want to know from the teacher whether these tests are practice tests or whether they count towards a quarterly grade. Presumably the kids in an Honors class are used to working harder and the average grade on a test should not be an F."

Is the 40% average tests showing in your DC online gradebook (SIS)? If so, it’ll count toward the quarter grade. If not, the teacher maybe working toward reteaching/retesting.

Also, kids don’t always give accurate information on tests’ averages. A lot of speculation and gossip is also included.

Was this math, science, or another subject? A 40% average in math is so much different then in US History. And, lastly, was the teacher out right before this test, limiting time for students to ask questions? There are so many variables to consider….

[Anonymous]

I’m a former professor, and in my experience, if most or all of your students are failing, you’re the common denominator in that case. It means that your teaching methods and/or your assessment tools are ineffective. Whether it’s an Honors class or not is irrelevant because it’s not about the students, it’s about you.

I know that some teachers, especially once you reach HS, won’t engage with parents but ignoring emails is just rude to me. At the very least they could acknowledge you and send a one sentence reply asking you to have the student come see them during the advisory period. I wasn’t allowed to discuss specifics with parents due to FERPA and still did that.

[Anonymous]

The above assumes that the information on the class average is accurate and that it wasn’t a practice assessment meant to be graded harshly for practice (my kid has teachers who do that). If it’s a final assessment and the class overwhelmingly did fail, that’s when it’s an issue with the teacher not connecting.

[Anonymous]

One of mine in HS had a teacher who gave tests with 4 questions only.

Miss one you get a B, miss two you got a D, etc...
AP course.

I rarely went to administration at my school. Maybe twice having six kids.

For this, I went. Why?
1. The teacher never once answered emails or phone calls.
2. The teacher told students he would not help after class ie no office hours ever.
3. There was no learning coming from this classroom the teacher was ineffective at best.
4. The teacher thought it was "funny" to pick on students in class.

My student had no trouble with the tests. They were an A student and taught themselves. However, given this was an AP class I expected better instruction.

After our conversation with the principal, the testing structure changed.

The crappy teacher was still crappy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

Are they always on their phone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of mine in HS had a teacher who gave tests with 4 questions only.

Miss one you get a B, miss two you got a D, etc...
AP course.

I rarely went to administration at my school. Maybe twice having six kids.

For this, I went. Why?
1. The teacher never once answered emails or phone calls.
2. The teacher told students he would not help after class ie no office hours ever.
3. There was no learning coming from this classroom the teacher was ineffective at best.
4. The teacher thought it was "funny" to pick on students in class.

My student had no trouble with the tests. They were an A student and taught themselves. However, given this was an AP class I expected better instruction.

After our conversation with the principal, the testing structure changed.

The crappy teacher was still crappy

This is almost every core class at Madison. (Grading, not the mocking students.) Sigh. Wish we had similar luck in getting things turned around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If HS Honor class average grad for test back to back below 40%.
Teacher not replying back to parents.

What is your question?

I believe it's the following:

"If the average grade in an Honors class for two tests in a row was 40%, who is really failing - the teacher or the kids? Parents have reached out to the teacher and gotten no response on what's happening in the classroom."

Personally, I'd want to know from the teacher whether these tests are practice tests or whether they count towards a quarterly grade. Presumably the kids in an Honors class are used to working harder and the average grade on a test should not be an F."

Hard work doesn't equal high grades. It's not an equal exchange. Kids these days are coddled and maybe this teacher isn't doing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of mine in HS had a teacher who gave tests with 4 questions only.

Miss one you get a B, miss two you got a D, etc...
AP course.

I rarely went to administration at my school. Maybe twice having six kids.

For this, I went. Why?
1. The teacher never once answered emails or phone calls.
2. The teacher told students he would not help after class ie no office hours ever.
3. There was no learning coming from this classroom the teacher was ineffective at best.
4. The teacher thought it was "funny" to pick on students in class.

My student had no trouble with the tests. They were an A student and taught themselves. However, given this was an AP class I expected better instruction.

After our conversation with the principal, the testing structure changed.

The crappy teacher was still crappy

Teachers work contracted hours. They aren't required to stay after school. All of the teachers I work with have after school jobs.

[Anonymous]

This is similar to this thread
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1187713.page

[Anonymous]

How do you know the average grade? Did the teacher tell students what the average was? If not, your child may be sharing information with a few peers who scored as badly and concluding that the average is below 40%.

Second, honors doesn't mean much. It's open enrollment and anybody can take anything. So plenty of kids who don't work in Hnrs.

Third, depending on the class, many of the kids may be woefully unprepared. For instance, if it's an early high school class with prereqs and the middle school gave out A's like candy to students who know nothing, because it gets to pass the buck and let others deal with the consequences.

Or it could indeed be the teacher.