"diverse perspectives" portion of project grade

[Anonymous]

Teacher removed 10 points out of 100 (full letter grade), because project didn't have enough "diverse perspectives" in material.
No explanation given for what "diversity" was expected, before or after grading. Gave full credit for all preparatory work and notes, before huge surprise deduction on grade on final submitted project.
Project weight is over half of quarter grade, despite being a homework (parent) project. I read draft and made suggestions of topics to add for "diverse perspectives", and student added content for those topics, but according to rubric, they did not show any diversity.
Class average grade on project is 80.5%, so my child wasn't an outlier in harsh grading.

Teacher has given scores back, but not put it into gradebook yet, because of the large cost to most students' average. So there's a chance teacher will rethink the scoring or the weighting.

(For the record, I have been a long-time, vocal defender of diversity and inclusion goals, though critical of the way it gets distorted through bureaucratic implement. No need for reflexive screams of "rwnj" or "maga", though I expect no less from the esteemed dcum community.)

[Anonymous]

Diverse views and diversity is not the same thing

[Anonymous]

You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

[Anonymous]

I'm with you OP. How to have diverse perspectives without guidelines; and what if someone has no idea or access to a "diverse" perspective?

I'm all for diversity, but I'm finding that it's more about virtue signaling and punishing people for being unaware or uneducated or confused rather than building bridges and encouraging understanding.

Teacher should have graded based on expectations. THEN a good gesture would be to offer extra credit to kids who wanted to expand their project with some goodwill pointers and tips on where to add "diversity perspectives"

It's just alienating everyone.

[Anonymous]

Sounds stupid, which is par for the course with MCPS.

Diversity is a religion with these folks.

[Anonymous]

OP, such a long post, but no mention of which class it's for or topic of homework. If it's Algebra II, or biology, let it rip. If it's history - then it's a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

+1. Diverse viewpoints can have different meanings. Did they use more than one or two sources? Just they use sources that tried to explain both sides of an argument? Why are you on here? This is between the teacher and student. Parents arent in the class. The student should have asked if they needed clarification.

[Anonymous]

I would be really uncomfortable asking my super white cishet male kids to include diverse viewpoints- what about the own voices movement?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

+1. Diverse viewpoints can have different meanings. Did they use more than one or two sources? Just they use sources that tried to explain both sides of an argument? Why are you on here? This is between the teacher and student. Parents arent in the class. The student should have asked if they needed clarification.

A diverse thought could be “calories in vs calories out” vs “low carb” to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

+1. Diverse viewpoints can have different meanings. Did they use more than one or two sources? Just they use sources that tried to explain both sides of an argument? Why are you on here? This is between the teacher and student. Parents arent in the class. The student should have asked if they needed clarification.

A diverse thought could be “calories in vs calories out” vs “low carb” to lose weight.

This was my first thought, based on the kinds of things my kids get assigned. Sounds like a critique of research methods, not "diversity" in the sense of DEI.

[Anonymous]

1. Diverse views is not DEI. Perhaps the topic was controversial in its historical period, and the teacher wants students to remember that and include pro-slavery and anti-slavery points of view, for example, with citations. This is an essential part of history and English classes.

2. Are you sure you and your student have all the rubric, and diverse perspectives was not included? In that case, your student has a case for complaint. It happens regularly that a teacher will fudge, and perhaps mention it out loud, or give the complete rubric only to one period and not the other class periods they have. After all, they have way too many classes! From the way students were graded, it sounds like students were not aware of that part of the grading. Please have your kid lodge a polite request for a class regrade, on the grounds that the rubric did not include diverse perspectives.

3. This is an exercise in self-advocacy. My 13 year old is shy and has never complained about incomplete rubrics, even though similar scenarios have happened to her. Since she still has straight As, I haven't pushed it... but I am aware that teachers make mistakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

+1. Diverse viewpoints can have different meanings. Did they use more than one or two sources? Just they use sources that tried to explain both sides of an argument? Why are you on here? This is between the teacher and student. Parents arent in the class. The student should have asked if they needed clarification.

A diverse thought could be “calories in vs calories out” vs “low carb” to lose weight.

This was my first thought, based on the kinds of things my kids get assigned. Sounds like a critique of research methods, not "diversity" in the sense of DEI.

+1 In context, I strongly think this was about including either:

1) More sources, so a NYT article as well as an article from the WSJ (or something)

2) More sources showing the discourse around the issue, according to the rubric. So, if the question is "What is the debate around MCPS start times?" then I would expect the student to bring in both sides, and then come down with a recommendation based on having explored both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

+1. Diverse viewpoints can have different meanings. Did they use more than one or two sources? Just they use sources that tried to explain both sides of an argument? Why are you on here? This is between the teacher and student. Parents arent in the class. The student should have asked if they needed clarification.

A diverse thought could be “calories in vs calories out” vs “low carb” to lose weight.

This was my first thought, based on the kinds of things my kids get assigned. Sounds like a critique of research methods, not "diversity" in the sense of DEI.

People get so triggered by the word diverse their brain pauses and can’t think.

It’s pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You had the rubric - you should have followed it. Also homework is not a parent project in my house.

A rubric is the map to an A. Your kid didn’t follow it so…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher removed 10 points out of 100 (full letter grade), because project didn't have enough "diverse perspectives" in material.
No explanation given for what "diversity" was expected, before or after grading. Gave full credit for all preparatory work and notes, before huge surprise deduction on grade on final submitted project.
Project weight is over half of quarter grade, despite being a homework (parent) project. I read draft and made suggestions of topics to add for "diverse perspectives", and student added content for those topics, but according to rubric, they did not show any diversity.
Class average grade on project is 80.5%, so my child wasn't an outlier in harsh grading.

Teacher has given scores back, but not put it into gradebook yet, because of the large cost to most students' average. So there's a chance teacher will rethink the scoring or the weighting.

(For the record, I have been a long-time, vocal defender of diversity and inclusion goals, though critical of the way it gets distorted through bureaucratic implement. No need for reflexive screams of "rwnj" or "maga", though I expect no less from the esteemed dcum community.)

Can you explain what you mean by the bolded?


Also, do you have a question here, because I don't see it.