posted on January 24, 2004 12:15:38 PM newPat on the Back or Privacy Violation? School Honor Rolls Under Fire By Matt Gouras Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 24, 2004
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The school honor roll, a time-honored system for rewarding A-students, has become an apparent source of embarrassment for some underachievers.
As a result, all Nashville schools have stopped posting honor rolls, and some are also considering a ban on hanging good work in the hallways - all at the advice of school lawyers.
After a few parents complained their children might be ridiculed for not making the list, Nashville school system lawyers warned that state privacy laws forbid releasing any academic information, good or bad, without permission.
Some schools have since put a stop to academic pep rallies. Others think they may have to cancel spelling bees. And now schools across the state may follow Nashville's lead.
The change has upset many parents who want their children recognized for hard work.
"This is as backward as it gets," said Miriam Mimms, who has a son at Meigs Magnet School and helps run the Parent Teacher Association. "There has to be a way to come back from the rigidity."
The problem appears unique to Tennessee, since most states follow federal student privacy guidelines, which allow the release of such things as honor rolls, U.S. Department of Education officials said.
"It's the first time I've heard of schools doing that," said department spokesman Jim Bradshaw.
But Nashville school lawyers based their decision last month on a state privacy law dating back to the 1970s - a law that's not always followed because no one challenged the honor roll status quo.
School officials are developing permission slips to give parents of the Nashville district's 69,000 students the option of having their children's work recognized. They hope to get clearance before the next grading cycle - in about six weeks at some schools.
Until then, school principals are left trying to figure out what they can and can't do.
Sandy Johnson, chief instructional officer for the Nashville schools, says the restrictions go "far beyond the honor role."
"It's for anything having to do with grades and attendance or anything normally reserved just for the student or parent," she said.
Getting parents to sign permission slips won't help protect students from being left out, but at least it will comply with the law, school officials said.
Christy Ballard, general counsel for the state Education Department, said she's "getting a lot of calls" since the Nashville decision, and will recommend that all Tennessee public schools get honor roll permission slips from parents.
In Knoxville, school district spokesman Russ Oaks said they do not think posting good information about a student violates state law. He said they put such information in the same category as sports statistics.
But some school systems already get parents to sign a release before student information is made public. Others think it might be a good idea to get rid of the honor roll altogether, as Principal Steven Baum did at Julia Green Elementary in Nashville.
"The rationale was, if there are some children that always make it and others that always don't make it, there is a very subtle message that was sent," he said. "I also understand right to privacy is the legal issue for the new century."
Baum thinks spelling bees and other publicly graded events are leftovers from the days of ranking and sorting students.
"I discourage competitive games at school," he said. "They just don't fit my world view of what a school should be."
Parents at most schools, though, have been close to outrage over the new rule.
"So far, what we've heard parents say is 'This is crazy; spend your time doing other things,'" said Teresa Dennis, principal at Percy Priest Elementary School. "It does seem really silly."
A similar issue over student privacy went to the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago, when some parents objected to students grading each other's work. The court sided with tradition in that case, ruling the long-standing practice of teachers asking students to swap papers and grade them in class does not violate federal privacy law.
"It's not always clear what falls into (the privacy laws)," says Naomi E. Gittins, an attorney with the National School Boards Association. "Schools often take a more cautious route."
posted on January 24, 2004 12:43:56 PM new
It's too bad that schools have out of necessity become so gunshy of lawsuits that they become afraid to do the right thing in case somebody wants to file a lawsuit. I believe very strongly in high expectations for students, and commensurate rewards for those who achieve. So does my school district, thank god. Not every kid is going to get straight A's, if they did, the grading system would be a complete joke, instead of just a partial one
___________________________________
Mi abuelita me dijo "en boca cerrada no entran moscas".
posted on January 24, 2004 12:51:21 PM new
"Just more reasons for the voucher program... "
There's that wacky logic of yours again, Twelvepole: A plus D equals Z.
This reminds me of the U.S. Army's decision to give the black beret to every soldier, whether they had earned it or not, because those who hadn't earned it felt "bad". I was opposed to the Army's decision and I'm opposed to this decision by Nashville's school officials. If people's achievements go unrecognized, where's the incentive to do well in school, in the army, or anywhere?
" I believe very strongly in high expectations for students, and commensurate rewards for those who achieve. "
Good for you, Profe. It's refreshing to have a teacher's insight and opinions on matters most of us approach only as parents (or taxpayers, heh) .
posted on January 24, 2004 01:03:59 PM new
One day your IQ may rise above 70... keep posting here and leave those other moron boards alone...
I do notice how so many are returning... that is nice even if to come here to troll...
Helen needs the company, she was getting lonely as this boards biggest moron.
posted on January 24, 2004 01:10:48 PM new
I think it's about time to kill off the "self esteem" movement in education. We are hurting our own children by not expecting more of them.
So a kid in Tennessee doesn't make the honor roll. Instead of encouraging that child to study harder, the honor roll is hidden away. Out of sight, out of mind. And, of course, the kids who did make the honor roll are shunted into the shadows. What message does that send to them?
Simply disgusting.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on January 24, 2004 01:35:21 PM new
Oh, it has nothing to do with "liberals." Or "conservatives" for that matter. There is a concerted overall movement in this country to protect children from absolutely everything. They must suffer nary a scratch, a scrape, nor a stubbed toe. They must never worry about anything, must never feel as if they have to strive for anything. And above all, they must be happy, happy, happy.
On the surface this all sounds wonderful, doesn't it. But kids grow up and leave the nest. We are raising a generation with no realistic expectations or knowledge of life. I fear for their future, frankly. What a shock to reach adulthood and discover that the mere act of breathing just isn't enough.
Oh, but then this movement seems to have thought of that. More and more these days I hear people in their 20s referred to as "kids." I have heard people actually say that someone in their 20s shouldn't be held responsible for something they did "because they are too young to know better." !!!!!!!
What a sad stateof affairs.
******
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on January 24, 2004 01:43:01 PM new
Twelvepole, you seem obsessed with the IQ of some of your fellow posters, so let's have a little fun with that, shall we?
Were you ever, in fact, shining so brightly in school that you were tested?
George W. Bush's IQ has been assessed in the low 90's; I'll grant that you're at least as smart as he is, but if you're hiding beneath triple-digits, we want to know!
posted on January 24, 2004 02:16:45 PM new
Let's not... none of your business and as your opinion means nothing to me, say what you want...
Of course all this is just "fun" for you as you have been posting just for effect and don't really belive it, but I am glad you are posting here, as I have said before keep posting here and your IQ will once again rise...
Besides Helen was lonely...
You're one of the best board trolls I have seen in awhile...
posted on January 24, 2004 02:22:04 PM new
First an expression of concern about my loneliness and now a compliment to the skills of Pat as a troll. Wheeee! we're on a roll.
Helen
[ edited by Helenjw on Jan 24, 2004 02:24 PM ]
posted on January 24, 2004 03:41:47 PM new
Big IQ numbers are foir the most part a bunch of crap.
Anyone that swells with pride at his test numbers is just looking for another way to look down on others to boost his own esteem. A popular method but one with little validity.
What it means is I am a good test taker and someone else that has better reasoning ability happens to get a little flustered or doesn't come up with the correct answer fast enough to punch up good numbers on the test.
There may be circumstances where getting an answer is time critical - in military stratagy say - but for the most part getting the right answer is more important than how quick you get an answer.
If we are going to be so fair I want all the athletic letters and other awards of physical ability to be hidden also if the intellectual awards are going to be hidden in shame.
Why should my self esteem be crapped on because I don't have a talant at some silly sport that means little about how I will do in life after school?
The affirmative action fight here in Michigan brought out the fact that one's entry test numbers meant very little as far as the chances of the person being a success or not in school. Yet they used that as a reason to bypass the tests and apply skin color as a means of choosing students when they should have said - "Hey the tests don't mean a thing. So why are we continuing to use them when we know they don't work? What can we change to have a valid system?"
Is that such a difficult leap to make when you already have said they don't work?
