Thinking out loud here. Humiliation just may be the approach to force under-performing kids in the Worcester Public School System to finally get their act together. God knows they need prodding.
The article (See below. The original has since disappeared from its online source) is interesting on two levels: The students in question grade's did improve and the parents approved of the tactic, but the education bureaucrats didn’t. Another source: Wisconsin School Posts Failing Grades.
Did you know that there’s a federal law mandating a child’s right to privacy? The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that protects their school records from prying eyes. So stupid people are protected by federal law eh? Taking it a step further, I imagine at some point the Federal Government will outlaw the use of stupid, idiot, and retard. Perhaps as hate speech?
I’m confused. If our government can publically intimidate tax scofflaws, dead beat dads, and sex offenders, why not publically humiliate children for shitty grades? Kids may as well get use to a society that remands, chides, intimidates and treats its citizens as idiots.
That a school principal was willing to apply the time tested method (what about dunce caps?) of public humiliation to get results speaks volumes about what is wrong with the system. The article states, of the 170 students, only 3 parents had a problem with the principal’s actions. Now that’s sumptin huh? The parents thought it okay, but the bureaucrats didn’t.
Seems that children who go to public school on the taxpayer's dime have no accountability. They occupy space for years, then drop out, then sink into minimum wage hell or they start a career in consumer retail, aka drug dealing - the only lucrative line of work for high school dropouts.A while ago I read in the NY Times about educators in Washington D.C. who implemented a test program in which students were paid money for school grades. Gee they get a free education and then get financial rewards for doing what they should be doing. Sounds like boot camp for future welfare recipients to me. So, if they fail to graduate do they pay back the government i.e., the taxpayers? BTW. The program showed positive results.
Speaking of accountability. How about in local government? Why can’t we have a system that requires councilors to establish MBO’s and let the voters grade em? Not goals of the Councilor's choosing, rather goals based on citizen's expectations. For those of you who don’t understand the system of accountability for Worcester City Councilors - there ain’t one. A councilor can do as he or she pleases with no accountability whatsoever to the citizens. Don’t try the argument, then don’t vote for the jerk. It's disingenuous.
Text of the original article, which has since disappeared from it's online source:
Marshfield Middle School's principal might have violated a federal law that protects the privacy of student's education records Thursday when he made public about 100 students' failing grades.
Principal Dave Schoepke said he posted in the alcove of his office a list of kids who were failing in order to quickly disseminate information to students who needed to turn in assignments, so they could raise their grades and attend Friday night's school dance. Students with failing grades are not allowed to participate in certain extra-curricular activities, including dances, Schoepke said. Sensing urgency, and in need of a way to address many students in a short amount of time, Schoepke decided to post the list, he said. But that decision, which Schoepke said in hindsight was a poor choice, likely violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of a student's education records.
"Is there something that is legally wrong? I would have to say 'yes,'" Schoepke said. The list was taken down when he received complaints, he said.
According to FERPA, schools must generally "have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record."
Schoepke said he had no ill intentions. It was a misguided attempt to address failing grades, an issue that the school and its staff have pursued aggressively during the past few years, he said.
During the 2005-06 school year, 170 students had failing grades during the first semester. Last year, there were 22 failing students, Schoepke said. Eighty percent of the failing students had raised their grades in the 24-hour period after the list was posted, he said.
Schoepke said he fielded three complaints from parents concerned about the list, and he met with Marshfield Schools Superintendent Bruce King on Friday to address the matter. He plans to use different means to accomplish the same goal in the future, he said.
King could not be reached for comment Friday. Marshfield School Board President Tim Deets said he isn't familiar with the specifics of the list, but said the board's policy references FERPA guidelines for student privacy.
