Proposed new grade system by legislature could punish schools
A move to create a new grading system for school systems in Tennessee is causing some concern for some of the state’s school districts — especially smaller districts.
Sen. Dolores Gresham, Dist. 26, has pushed for the state to enact a grading system for schools that is supposed to give those looking at schools an idea of how that school is performing.
But it doesn’t work, Clinton City Director Schools Kelly Johnson told Clinton City Council Monday night during its regular monthly meeting.
“They are taking a complicated procedure and trying to simplify it,” Johnson said. “And it doesn’t work.”
Johnson addressed Council saying she was laying out groundwork for the body to pass a resolution in the future asking to end the proposed grading system.
She pointed out the new system would hold schools accountable for things they have no control over, or over services they have no need to provide.
She mentioned three such scenarios:
English Language Learning (ELL) students would be part of the new grading system. But what if a school has no ELL students?
It would count against their final grade because the school is held accountable for that.
Another area that could be used against a school’s grades would be career development.
School systems that have only elementary schools in the system would be held accountable — and ultimately punished in the grading system — for not having those kinds of programs available.
A third area schools could be unfairly held accountable for is attendance.
If flu is running rampant should a school tell students, “Tough luck,” or is it a school’s place to rush a student back to the classroom following surgery?
The new system could punish a school for low attendance figures.
Johnson said the new grading system could leave a school like North Clinton Elementary — a Rewards School designated because of its learning growth — with a grade of a “C” because it didn’t have those kind of programs.
Even though there is no need for those programs.
She noted the lowest number of students needed to be accredited with having an ELL program is 10.
“There’s not 10 ELL students in the whole system,” she said.
She also noted the reason for the new grading system would be for more transparency in education — which she said is supported.
But, she added, it should be fair and equitable.
She said Clinton City has joined Coalition For Better Schools” and at some point in the future could ask Council for a resolution to support the coalition.
To make her point hit home a little more Johnson pointed out when a company or industry looks at a location to move into, they look at the schools in that area.
“What happens if they look at Clinton City Schools and they see an F or a C?” she asked.