Best way to get grades changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s really troubling to read the nasty tone of the responses of the educators on this thread. In the beginning of the year (and at other events throughout the year depending on the child’s grade) the parents are welcomed to back to school night and to chat with you via conference where one face is shown and then you get on here and show another face. We are involved to support and advocate for our children as needed. I don’t see any issues with that, they are not adults yet. The children should definitely develop the skills to advocate for themselves but that can take more time for some. The lack of empathy and the level of shoulder chips here are really unfortunate and unnecessary and not a good look for the school you represent. Is someone holding you hostage in your position? If you are not satisfied with your professional situation, then resign.

We tend to pay these exorbitant tuition amounts for the community approach and the way all parents are being lumped into one generalized bucket is concerning and quite frankly makes me want to be more involved then less.

Big shoutout and thanks to all the kind, collaborative and genuine educators, administrators and staff out there! I see you and this rant (that will get me put on the naughty list) is not for you.

I'm not an educator, I'm a private school parent who has been reading all these comments with interest. And I'm troubled by the idea that asking a teacher to change your child's grade might be considered a collaborative community approach. It seems more like entitlement to me. If you are concerned that your child does not yet know how to advocate for himself or herself, you might use an opportunity like this to teach that skill. Doing it for the child doesn't really help anyone, least of all the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s really troubling to read the nasty tone of the responses of the educators on this thread. In the beginning of the year (and at other events throughout the year depending on the child’s grade) the parents are welcomed to back to school night and to chat with you via conference where one face is shown and then you get on here and show another face. We are involved to support and advocate for our children as needed. I don’t see any issues with that, they are not adults yet. The children should definitely develop the skills to advocate for themselves but that can take more time for some. The lack of empathy and the level of shoulder chips here are really unfortunate and unnecessary and not a good look for the school you represent. Is someone holding you hostage in your position? If you are not satisfied with your professional situation, then resign.

We tend to pay these exorbitant tuition amounts for the community approach and the way all parents are being lumped into one generalized bucket is concerning and quite frankly makes me want to be more involved then less.

Big shoutout and thanks to all the kind, collaborative and genuine educators, administrators and staff out there! I see you and this rant (that will get me put on the naughty list) is not for you.

Honestly, which post be an educator had a nasty tone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a private school teacher and I agree with the above. Have your child advocate for himself. Have him come with specific evidence that illustrates why a higher grade is warranted. Were there test questions marked wrong? Was there an assignment with a zero that your student can prove was turned in? Was an essay marked down on a rubric and can your child reasonably articulate why a higher score is warranted?

If your reason is a general “I think he’s an A student,” then I wouldn’t recommend taking this on. A B+ isn’t going to be the end of your child’s academic career.

I don’t change grades often, and I only do it when there’s a solid reason. I feel it’s unfair to the many other students in the class to boost one student and not all.

This approach recently worked for my kid. Respectful and evidence based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s really troubling to read the nasty tone of the responses of the educators on this thread. In the beginning of the year (and at other events throughout the year depending on the child’s grade) the parents are welcomed to back to school night and to chat with you via conference where one face is shown and then you get on here and show another face. We are involved to support and advocate for our children as needed. I don’t see any issues with that, they are not adults yet. The children should definitely develop the skills to advocate for themselves but that can take more time for some. The lack of empathy and the level of shoulder chips here are really unfortunate and unnecessary and not a good look for the school you represent. Is someone holding you hostage in your position? If you are not satisfied with your professional situation, then resign.

We tend to pay these exorbitant tuition amounts for the community approach and the way all parents are being lumped into one generalized bucket is concerning and quite frankly makes me want to be more involved then less.

Big shoutout and thanks to all the kind, collaborative and genuine educators, administrators and staff out there! I see you and this rant (that will get me put on the naughty list) is not for you.

Bullying teachers into changing grades is a "community" approach and the teachers and admin that fold to these demands are "collaborative" and "genuine" educators. What a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s really troubling to read the nasty tone of the responses of the educators on this thread. In the beginning of the year (and at other events throughout the year depending on the child’s grade) the parents are welcomed to back to school night and to chat with you via conference where one face is shown and then you get on here and show another face. We are involved to support and advocate for our children as needed. I don’t see any issues with that, they are not adults yet. The children should definitely develop the skills to advocate for themselves but that can take more time for some. The lack of empathy and the level of shoulder chips here are really unfortunate and unnecessary and not a good look for the school you represent. Is someone holding you hostage in your position? If you are not satisfied with your professional situation, then resign.

We tend to pay these exorbitant tuition amounts for the community approach and the way all parents are being lumped into one generalized bucket is concerning and quite frankly makes me want to be more involved then less.

Big shoutout and thanks to all the kind, collaborative and genuine educators, administrators and staff out there! I see you and this rant (that will get me put on the naughty list) is not for you.

Honestly, which post be an educator had a nasty tone?

I’d like to know this, as well. Which posts were nasty? Please return and tell us which teacher posts had nasty tones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a school frequently discussed on this board (and have been teaching for 10 years), and parents don’t seem to realize how often the grade I gave their child is already rounded up to the nicest possible version of itself, especially for a year end report card. If I can justify a higher grade without being unfair or dishonest, I want to give it! I want to reflect your child’s growth!

But asking me to round a 4 to a 5 when that 4 is really a 3.8 is too much.

This - I worked at a big 3 for 10 years and I always tried to give the highest grade to avoid dealing with push back, which still came.

[Anonymous]

What about all the grade “deflation”?

[Anonymous]

Academic bias, among the many biases anyone has to deal with, is a thing. Grades are a way for a manipulative and unethical educator to translate that bias. There is no way that I will allow my CHILD to fight that uphill battle alone. I will intervene if my child is unable to obtain a fair resolution. I am not going to “this” any of the rude teacher voices on here to justify that position. That is what it is and that’s it. I don’t support or encourage disrespect towards either party, me as a parent or any school representative. I am only on the side of what’s fair.

[Anonymous]

Your scenario is not what the OP is about.

[Anonymous]

The OP is vague, no one can definitively say that there is no underlying bias happening here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academic bias, among the many biases anyone has to deal with, is a thing. Grades are a way for a manipulative and unethical educator to translate that bias. There is no way that I will allow my CHILD to fight that uphill battle alone. I will intervene if my child is unable to obtain a fair resolution. I am not going to “this” any of the rude teacher voices on here to justify that position. That is what it is and that’s it. I don’t support or encourage disrespect towards either party, me as a parent or any school representative. I am only on the side of what’s fair.

This actually comes across as the rudest post on the entire thread. It’s ironic that you say you don’t support or encourage disrespect, yet your tone is disrespectful and condemning.

“Fair” is subjective. I once had a parent tell me the student’s grade in my class (a high B) wasn’t “fair” because the student got As in all other subjects. They accused me of poor grading practices simply because I wouldn’t round up two percentage points. I was told I was single-handedly ruining the child’s college prospects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP is vague, no one can definitively say that there is no underlying bias happening here.

You assumed bias. Do you see it everywhere irl too?

[Anonymous]

Fair is not totally subjective, there are ways to comparatively analyze a teacher’s grading formula to determine if they are equitably applying the same methodology to each student’s body of work. It is disappointing that as a teacher you don’t know that, which is why your grades should be challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fair is not totally subjective, there are ways to comparatively analyze a teacher’s grading formula to determine if they are equitably applying the same methodology to each student’s body of work. It is disappointing that as a teacher you don’t know that, which is why your grades should be challenged.

Ah, the typical DCUM assumptions. OF COURSE that’s true, but that’s not the point of my post. But you were able to insult a teacher on this site, which is a sport to some. Good dig.

And that wasn’t the point of my anecdote. (You knew that, of course.) I was accused of being “unfair” simply because the student’s average was lower than his averages in other classes. That’s all. The parents didn’t question the rubrics I use or the comments I leave to justify the scores. They didn’t ask to see quantitative data from class tests. Nope. I was “unfair” simply because their child is an A student and the grade was lower than an A. That’s it. That’s all it took to spark accusations and demand a grade change, which got escalated with no support other than “it must be an A.”

So was that fair? If you are the poster above who says you always side with “fair,” are you planning to support me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s really troubling to read the nasty tone of the responses of the educators on this thread. In the beginning of the year (and at other events throughout the year depending on the child’s grade) the parents are welcomed to back to school night and to chat with you via conference where one face is shown and then you get on here and show another face. We are involved to support and advocate for our children as needed. I don’t see any issues with that, they are not adults yet. The children should definitely develop the skills to advocate for themselves but that can take more time for some. The lack of empathy and the level of shoulder chips here are really unfortunate and unnecessary and not a good look for the school you represent. Is someone holding you hostage in your position? If you are not satisfied with your professional situation, then resign.

We tend to pay these exorbitant tuition amounts for the community approach and the way all parents are being lumped into one generalized bucket is concerning and quite frankly makes me want to be more involved then less.

Big shoutout and thanks to all the kind, collaborative and genuine educators, administrators and staff out there! I see you and this rant (that will get me put on the naughty list) is not for you.

Bullying teachers into changing grades is a "community" approach and the teachers and admin that fold to these demands are "collaborative" and "genuine" educators. What a joke.

Well put!