Parents grading homework/tests...

irvinehomeowner

irvinehomeowner

Well-known member
This is something that I know many schools/classrooms allow but it never occurred to me what kind of privacy issue this may be.

Would you be okay with a parent knowing what type of work your kid does?
 
I don't care either but I can see an opening where a competitive parent might dock the score of a competing child to hers/his.  Especially since going to Common Core, sometimes the correct answer isn't black or white so the person correcting the answer could have some leeway in the score.

I also find the teachers to be lax as well. When I go to those teacher meetings, some of them show me my kids' test scores and they don't cover up the other students' scores.  I don't really care so I try not to be nosey.  Also, many of the kids seem to know what scores the other kids got anyway on those major tests.

Anyway, the parents of the child that's doing very well will tell you how well she/he is doing whether you want to know or not.  ::)
 
eyephone said:
This is nonsense, parents grading schoolwork. Teachers get paid to do this.
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It reminds me of this teacher.
 

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Interesting topic, Iho. I sure do have a lot of experience on this one. Not sure I have the time to write a novella on the topic but might hit up specific questions if there are any. I've been a weekly+ volunteer for 3 years and have seen and heard it ALL! I have often been on the other side of the coin and secretly thought to myself: "I wonder how the other parents would feel if they knew that I knew this stuff..."
 
I knew a parent that would volunteer to grade papers-  then she would tell her child that they were much smarter than "Sally"-  after which the kid would go and tease Sally that she was so much smarter in front of all the other kids. 

Some parents are really awful-  they have no clue of the trail of destruction they leave in their wake.
 
SoCal said:
I have often been on the other side of the coin and secretly thought to myself: "I wonder how the other parents would feel if they knew that I knew this stuff..."
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This sounds like you enjoy knowing "stuff" about other kids and then wonder how their parents would feel if they knew you knew. I would hope good volunteers could just focus on the grading task without caring to monitor and track which specific kids are doing what. Maybe that is too much to expect.
 
What I'm afraid of is it will wake up my inner tiger dad.

"Hey... why didn't you get 100% on your math test?"
"Who is this X kid, are they your friend? Don't hang out with them anymore."
"You should play with Y more, they are a good influence."

The funny thing is, grades don't equal character... and character is just as important.
 
Some teachers have students fold back the corner of the page where they write their name. Stacking up the papers isn't neat but at least it serves a reminder to volunteers that their purpose isn't to know stuff about other kids.
 
If you want Anonymity, have the student put an ID number on the paper instead of the name. (just a thought)
 
octagon said:
SoCal said:
I have often been on the other side of the coin and secretly thought to myself: "I wonder how the other parents would feel if they knew that I knew this stuff..."
Click to expand...
This sounds like you enjoy knowing "stuff" about other kids and then wonder how their parents would feel if they knew you knew. I would hope good volunteers could just focus on the grading task without caring to monitor and track which specific kids are doing what. Maybe that is too much to expect.
Click to expand...

Based on this comment and the one following it saying their purpose "isn't to know stuff about the kids", I think there is a false preconceived notion about what a classroom volunteer is.

When I said I have seen and heard it "all" what I meant by that is, it goes beyond just checking off math problems like a mindless robot. Being a classroom volunteer does not mean you are given a stack of papers and sequestered in a private a room with blacked out windows (although a teacher may send the volunteer home with a stack of papers to grade. That's happened to me, too.) A volunteer is submerged in the classroom environment throughout the course of an entire school year. Just like the teacher does, you get to know many aspects of the children (not just academic), especially in group and one-on-one situations. It is not all about academics... I think your insecurities are showing in how you respond to my post. You learn about how disciplined they are or aren't, how kind they are or aren't, their family environments (guess what y'all -- your kids are blabber mouths, if you didn't know that already. They tell us every single thing that goes on in your house), if they have special needs, behavioral issues, etc. How they perform isn't some secret you go digging for. It is in your face and made obvious by the teacher. For ex: not only have I been asked to grade papers but I've been asked to give timed reading tests, mark, and score them. (And no, the teacher does not repeat them to verify the results.) Another example, during rotations, the teacher will specifically say, "This is the group that is struggling the most. Keep an eye on Mary. Her parents refuse to put her in after school tutoring." Then when Mary reads aloud during Choral Reading Time / Circle Group, it is obvious to the entire group that she's struggling badly. I've also been asked to file papers that have what I consider to be confidential info on them -- that's not cool, imo.

I have often felt like some teachers abuse (eh, I don't know if that's the right word) the position of classroom volunteer by turning them into Instructional Assistants which is taking the place of a paid district position. For ex, I've been left alone with the whole class so the teacher could go take a break, put in charge of teaching kids with special needs which I do not feel qualified to do (their response was, "We're not especially qualified either". Got it, thanks.)

So, you see, it goes beyond checking to see if #2 is answer C.

The "good volunteers" are the ones who show up. And as with anything, if you feel you can do a better job - do it. I'm sure they would welcome the relief.

[Edited to add.]
 
SoCal said:
octagon said:
SoCal said:
I have often been on the other side of the coin and secretly thought to myself: "I wonder how the other parents would feel if they knew that I knew this stuff..."
Click to expand...
This sounds like you enjoy knowing "stuff" about other kids and then wonder how their parents would feel if they knew you knew. I would hope good volunteers could just focus on the grading task without caring to monitor and track which specific kids are doing what. Maybe that is too much to expect.
Click to expand...

Based on this comment and the one following it saying their purpose "isn't to know stuff about the kids", I think there is a false preconceived notion about what a classroom volunteer is.

When I said I have seen and heard it "all" what I meant by that is, it goes beyond just checking off math problems like a mindless robot. Being a classroom volunteer does not mean you are given a stack of papers and sequestered in a private a room with blacked out windows (although a teacher may send the volunteer home with a stack of papers to grade. That's happened to me, too.) A volunteer is submerged in the classroom environment throughout the course of an entire school year. Just like the teacher does, you get to know many aspects of the children (not just academic), especially in group and one-on-one situations. It is not all about academics... I think your insecurities are showing in how you respond to my post. You learn about how disciplined they are or aren't, how kind they are or aren't, their family environments (guess what y'all -- your kids are blabber mouths, if you didn't know that already. They tell us every single thing that goes on in your house), if they have special needs, behavioral issues, etc. How they perform isn't some secret you go digging for. It is in your face and made obvious by the teacher. For ex: not only have I been asked to grade papers but I've been asked to give timed reading tests, mark, and score them. (And no, the teacher does not repeat them to verify the results.) Another example, during rotations, the teacher will specifically say, "This is the group that is struggling the most. Keep an eye on Mary. Her parents refuse to put her in after school tutoring." Then when Mary reads aloud during Choral Reading Time / Circle Group, it is obvious to the entire group that she's struggling badly. I've also been asked to file papers that have what I consider to be confidential info on them -- that's not cool, imo.

I have often felt like some teachers abuse (eh, I don't know if that's the right word) the position of classroom volunteer by turning them into Instructional Assistants which is taking the place of a paid district position. For ex, I've been left alone with the whole class so the teacher could go take a break, put in charge of teaching kids with special needs which I do not feel qualified to do (their response was, "We're not especially qualified either". Got it, thanks.)

So, you see, it goes beyond checking to see if #2 is answer C.

The "good volunteers" are the ones who show up. And as with anything, if you feel you can do a better job - do it. I'm sure they would welcome the relief.

[Edited to add.]
Click to expand...
I think your insecurities are showing in how you responded to my post. Sorry if you misinterpreted me.

I've volunteered in the classroom on many occasions so I'm well aware of what you are exposed to. Your explanation was very good and helpful for those who may be less familiar.
 
furioussugar said:
I knew a parent that would volunteer to grade papers-  then she would tell her child that they were much smarter than "Sally"-  after which the kid would go and tease Sally that she was so much smarter in front of all the other kids. 

Some parents are really awful-  they have no clue of the trail of destruction they leave in their wake.
Click to expand...

If you have the opportunity to, if that is this year or if it happens again, I would encourage you to fill in the teacher about that. One year, I had a teacher that told the parents from the get-go to keep all matters private and that if they were caught discussing what they saw inside the classroom with people outside the classroom, they would be uninvited as classroom helpers. I thought that was a good idea to set expectations from the start. The flip side is it also gives the volunteers an excuse to not share even when the parents ask: "How is my child doing? Did everything going okay? You have to tell me!" I have felt cornered by these parents and when their child was having a lot of trouble, I didn't feel it was my place to have that conversation with them. I would always redirect them back to the teacher but no, they want that reaffirmation from a fellow parent and don't want to take no for an answer.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
What I'm afraid of is it will wake up my inner tiger dad.

"Hey... why didn't you get 100% on your math test?"
"Who is this X kid, are they your friend? Don't hang out with them anymore."
"You should play with Y more, they are a good influence."

The funny thing is, grades don't equal character... and character is just as important.
Click to expand...

It's natural to detect patterns in how your kid stacks up, behaviorally in the classroom environment, academically, sportsmanship at P.E., and also how the other children interact with them & react to their personality quirks. :) It is a very interesting experience every parent should afford themselves at some point. Part of the fun is getting to be with your child & observing them in this environment.  I think what happened to me is probably what would happen to you, Iho. I began thinking in my head...

"Wow. I've been so focused on creating a good kid, that I forgot I already have one.

Thank you, God, for giving me this child. I am SO BLESSED and SO thankful."

In many ways, it can create a huge relief.
 
Children are so vulnerable in our society.  We must make sure that their right to privacy is valued the same way an adult's.  It is ALWAYS, ALWAYS wrong of a teacher to have a parent grade or record scores from other students.  All it would take is just one parent with the guts to go to the school board and make this statement.  Who in the world would agree that it is ok for you to know how other kids score!  Grading and counseling is up to the teacher and that is what they are paid for.  Children's privacy is a right.  I feel as strongly about this as I do for HIPPA laws regarding patient privacy rights.
 
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