by Tony Odom

Created on: January 18, 2009

On the frst day of school, I always make this announcement:

"I will not give anyone an "F" in this class."

This grabs many students attention, and garners several smiles and "all rights!"

Then I drop this one:

"I will not give anyone an "A" in this class either."

Puzzled looks abound.

Then I drop this bombshell:

"I do not believe in giving grades at all."

At that point, that whole class seems to say, "Huh?"

Then, I bring them back to earth.

"The grade you receive in this class will be the grade YOU earn in this class."

This pretty much sums up my philosophy of education, that the student should be the primary focus.

If we do not hold students accountable for failing grades, then who should be?

Teachers? Teachers do provide the road map for student achievement in the classroom, but as Buddha said, "You must do your own work, for I can only show you the way." How can a teacher be held to account for a student's lack of effort? At teacher should do everything in their power to help a student, but to hold them accountable for a student's success or failure devalues student achievement. The emphasis on education becomes the teacher, not the student.

Administrators? While administrators do set the tone for student achievement in thier schools, to hold an administrator responsible for individual student achievement once again devalues student success.

Furthermore, holding school personnel responsible for student failure opens the door for corruption and fraud. If an administrator or a teacher is solely responsible for a student's grades, they are more likely to fudge test scores or inflate grades. And once again, we cheat the student, who then graduates without the necessary skills for success at the next level.

So what other component of education can be held accountable for student achievement? Parents. Realistically, there is no way to hold a parent accountable for a child's grades. Even if there were, we once again devalue student achievement.

If we do not hold students accountable for failing grades, then they are equally not responsible for their successes.

Students must be the focus of education. When they succeed, it must mean something. If they are not held accountable for their failures, they will feel no sense of accomplishment in success. I can think of no greater injustice that can be done to a child than to set them up for failure in life by denying them responsibility for their own success.

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