Tera Collum | The Travis Institute of Educational Policy
A Texas educator said school administrators are trying to force teachers to give passing grades to students who don’t deserve them because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tera Collum, the executive director of The Travis Institute of Educational Policy in Bedford, Texas, said teachers must be allowed to determine grades their students earned and deserve.
“Teachers know their students. They know if their family is having issues and can make adjustments,” she told Education Daily Wire. “They know how a student can struggle with new topics, so they can tutor and grade accordingly. And they know their students that just do not want to work because they do not want to be at school.
“Many of these students learn that they can sit back and do nothing because they have gotten as far as they have due to social promotion,” Collum said. “Letting teachers give the students the grades they deserve is the most fair way to do it.”
In a blog post, Collum said teachers are under pressure to pass all their students. They should only do so if the students earned passing grades, she said.
Although this year has been unique, with school districts closing their doors early due to the pandemic, many finishing the year with online courses, Collum said administrators have long tried to seize control of grading. She taught at North Side High School in Fort Worth from August 2005 to August 2018.
“This has bothered me for years. Who has control of your grade book? When I was first teaching, I could not give less than a 60 for the first two grading cycles. In the last grading cycle, per district policy, I could give what the student earned,” she wrote. “In theory, this had the potential to be great for those students who struggle but are still trying. It gave those students a chance to still pass the semester. But that was not what happened. Many of my students knew that they could pass the last grading cycle with an 80 and then goof off for the rest of the semester. And that’s what they did.”
Collum wants educators to understand they have the right, and the duty, to give out appropriate grades.
“One of the growing concerns from teachers during this time of uncertainty is that they will be asked to just give passing grades,” she wrote. “It is imperative that you understand: you, the teacher, have the final word on the grade.”
Collum told Education Daily Wire that removing this authority from the teacher can disrupt the educational process.
“Teachers lose power in the classroom. It may get out if a student doesn't like a grade they can go to the administration and get it changed. This takes all the power away from a teacher,” she said. “Students do learn about working for grade and striving to do better. They will learn falsely that you do not need to work to receive a grade, salary, recognition. Many students go to college and are shocked that the professor failed them for turning in an assignment late.”
A teacher responded to Collum’s post by saying she was told all her students must receive passing grades, no matter what they earned.
“My principal has instructed us to not fail anyone,” the teacher, who teaches English in the Eula Independent School District in Clyde, Texas, wrote. “I am not comfortable with this at all. Some had an 11 going into this thing ... how on earth can I justify giving them a 70?!??!”
Another teacher responded with a proposal on how to handle it.
“I might suggest documenting the number of times and dates you have contacted the student, the student's parent and maybe the student's counselor,” wrote a teacher who teaches floral design at East Victoria High School in Victoria, Texas. “If you are going to go against the principal, get everything ready. We were encouraged to be lenient and understanding, as some kids are just now getting the technology they need to do their class work. I also have some seniors that are failing, among others. Document everything!”
Collum told Education Daily Wire that teachers have the final authority under state law.
“The Education Code of Texas is clear that the grades are the responsibility of the teacher,” she said. “They can remind the administration or contact their association to file a grievance.”
Collum said she founded The Travis Institute of Educational Policy because she felt teachers’ voices were being ignored. Her goal is to help educators “become better teachers, impact policy, and feel confident they will have a secure future. Our mission is clear, To improve the education of all Texas students and empower teachers with support, education and guidance. Whatever it takes, we will be here to stand by the teachers of Texas.”
The institute launched an initiative, Teachers for Texas, to serve as its legislative reform arm.
“We are geared to empower teachers to become involved in the legislative process and to let our representatives know what teachers find important,” Collum wrote. “We do this in a variety of ways, including petitioning, rallies and email campaigns. Together, Teachers for Texas will make a direct impact on legislation.”
Alerts Sign-up