no grades posted since before winter break for middle school?

[Anonymous]

My 8th grader has two honors classes (english and algebra 1) with no grades posted since Dec 18, which was before winter break. Some assignments are not graded from Dec 18. Other assignments and tests have been completed and aren't uploaded to the grade book in SIS. The second quarter is about to end and students have no idea about missing assignments or scores on summative assignments. Is this typical? It is frustrating and doesn't seem fair to the students. I know we had several weather closures and delays, which I understands impacts the teacher schedules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8th grader has two honors classes (english and algebra 1) with no grades posted since Dec 18, which was before winter break. Some assignments are not graded from Dec 18. Other assignments and tests have been completed and aren't uploaded to the grade book in SIS. The second quarter is about to end and students have no idea about missing assignments or scores on summative assignments. Is this typical? It is frustrating and doesn't seem fair to the students. I know we had several weather closures and delays, which I understands impacts the teacher schedules.

Yes, it is typical.

[Anonymous]

they had a 3 weeks break.
then a few holidays and 2 hour delay they are never in school.

[Anonymous]

You are not alone. My kid’s Algebra1 H has a lot of not graded assignments and a few missing assignments(due to they ended up in the teacher’s piles somewhere)

[Anonymous]

i don't understand how a teacher can be behind on grading material from December when we had almost a full week of snow days, plus multiple two hours delays--tons of free time to get grading done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand how a teacher can be behind on grading material from December when we had almost a full week of snow days, plus multiple two hours delays--tons of free time to get grading done.

I mean, it’s not that hard to understand. They didn’t do any grading on the snow days. Many teachers don’t work on snow days.

[Anonymous]

It’s not acceptable to not have grades posted for a month. It’s almost end of quarter.

[Anonymous]

Spouse teaches 8th grade honors algebra and has 16 grades, 2 summative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not acceptable to not have grades posted for a month. It’s almost end of quarter.

I agree. Its been over a month. Course selections are due, and the quarter is about to end. How will students have time to retake summatives before the second quarter ends? Is there a policy on the length of time teachers have to submit grades to SIS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not acceptable to not have grades posted for a month. It’s almost end of quarter.

I agree. Its been over a month. Course selections are due, and the quarter is about to end. How will students have time to retake summatives before the second quarter ends? Is there a policy on the length of time teachers have to submit grades to SIS?

Not a policy, just a guideline. And nothing happens if you don’t do them timely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand how a teacher can be behind on grading material from December when we had almost a full week of snow days, plus multiple two hours delays--tons of free time to get grading done.

Teachers have to get grading done on their own time. We aren’t provided any time at work to do this, so the entire system relies on teachers’ willingness to work off-hours.

I agree that work should be returned in a timely manner. I’m a teacher and a parent. I know what it is like to wait 6 weeks to see updated grades because I’ve had to do it. Yes, it’s frustrating and it’s wrong.

But I know what teachers are up against. I get my grades done quickly, but I sacrifice my own family to do so. A lot of teachers aren’t willing to do that anymore, and some teachers share the belief that working conditions will only become reasonable when teachers refuse to sacrifice nights and weekends. I think we’re seeing the impact of that.

The solution is to give teachers time at work to grade. It’s really the only solution if we want to keep teachers and get grades done quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i don't understand how a teacher can be behind on grading material from December when we had almost a full week of snow days, plus multiple two hours delays--tons of free time to get grading done.

Teachers have to get grading done on their own time. We aren’t provided any time at work to do this, so the entire system relies on teachers’ willingness to work off-hours.

I agree that work should be returned in a timely manner. I’m a teacher and a parent. I know what it is like to wait 6 weeks to see updated grades because I’ve had to do it. Yes, it’s frustrating and it’s wrong.

But I know what teachers are up against. I get my grades done quickly, but I sacrifice my own family to do so. A lot of teachers aren’t willing to do that anymore, and some teachers share the belief that working conditions will only become reasonable when teachers refuse to sacrifice nights and weekends. I think we’re seeing the impact of that.

The solution is to give teachers time at work to grade. It’s really the only solution if we want to keep teachers and get grades done quickly.

Yeah people don’t understand the way the system setup makes it so hard to find time to do this stuff. If you’re not teaching, your planning block is usually taken up by PLC meetings , data meetings, or, this time of her, endless proctoring for SOL makeups and the WIDA test. The possible solution then is less robust assignments that are quicker and easier to grade but you can’t give individualized feedback. Or you take the time to give the feedback and that’s now a 3 week turnaround because you have to get through 120 of them.

I would never go the entire quarter without grades but the finagling it takes to ensure that there are grades in the gradebook is something only very experienced teachers can juggle and you do sacrifice the quality and amount of feedback you can give.

[Anonymous]

Which is why it makes no sense to not use 4 snow days and two late starts to get grading done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is why it makes no sense to not use 4 snow days and two late starts to get grading done.

Exactly!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is why it makes no sense to not use 4 snow days and two late starts to get grading done.

That’s the point. Teachers HAVE to use their own time to get this work done. Many of us did use those snow days, but the question remains: why are we accepting a system that demands teachers consistently give up their off days to get mandatory work done?

I am not afraid of working past contract hours. I often work 20 to 30 extra hours a week, but I shouldn’t HAVE to. Your statement above suggests I should, that my time off belongs to the school as long as I have work to do. And I always have work to do.