Principal Tells Teachers To Dumb-Down Standards

WCBS Tv NY ^ | Dec 13, 2007 | Andrew Kirtzman

[Islander7]

HARLEM (CBS) ― Have teachers at an East Harlem school been ordered to lower their standards because many students there are poor?

That's the impression some got from their principal's memo.

And now City Hall has stepped in.

The weather was gloomy Thursday outside Central Park East High School, but the talk was about a controversial memo from the school's principal.

"I don't think he thinks we're dumb," 12th grader Crystal Scarlett said. "He just thinks we can do much better than we're doing."

But not everyone agreed.

Last month, Principal Bennett Lieberman sent off a stern memo to teachers.

"If you are not passing more than 65 percent of your students in a class, then you are not designing your expectations to meet their abilities, and you are setting your students up for failure, which, in turn, limits your success as a professional."

Was he ordering teachers to dumb down their classes?

[Islander7]

It's finally official!

[G8 Diplomat]

Is it any wonder the US ranks last of the top 20 industrialized nations when it comes to education?

[MaggieM]

Sounds like dumbing down to me. Pathetic.

[edcoil]

What, blacks are stupid? Low income people are stupid? Harlem residence are stupid? Ever wonder how low these people demean their own. One day I wish some of them would actually challenge themselves to succeed.

[RobbyS]

If so, it started fifty years ago or more, After being let got from a high school math job, I was applying to another in Corpus Christi Texas. In the course of my interview the inteviewer asked what percent of my students had failed. I said 10%. He was alarmed and shortly before seeing me out the door, instructed me in the fine art of staying employed in the public school, which was to “work with” all your students so that none failed.

[LibFreeOrDie]

43.5% graduation rate.

Info about the school:

http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_profile.php?id=988

http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/04/M555/default.htm

[jonsie]

I got called in by my principal because I had a high number of failures. I had to justify each student’s failure. It was not hard. I explained that each student did not do the work, was absent every other day, and that I had contacted each parent who said they would “talk to their child”. Needless to say there was no change in the student's attitude toward learning. The state says 70 is passing and I guess I am old fashion, 70 it is. The problem is that some states have 60 as passing, unfortunately I have many students who fall in this grade range. Principals have the right to change a teachers grade and pass any student. And they call us professionals.

[StnCldTruth]

In that first link they throw the word “progressive” around
alot....seems like there hasn’t been any progress though, unless you consider running kids in and out regardless of
performance.

[eyedigress]

I think he might almost be calling the teachers out on this one. then you are not designing your expectations to meet their abilities!

my teachers designed their expectations to meet my ability and if I didn't meet their expectation I would fail

[Amelia]

Well, it’s better than the principal who told me that 90% of my students needed to pass, even though I could prove that fewer than 90% had even tried to do the work.

[Amelia]

Probably 30-50% of my 9th graders are performing at a 6th grade level or below on reading and/or math. Should I teach my 9th grade class at a 6th grade level or less, so that most of them can pass?

[SoftballMominVA]

Our principal told us this year that we may no longer give zeros for missing work. The lowest grade we can give is a 60. A 70 is a D-. The idea is that a 60 is still an F, but the student has a better chance of overcoming the 60 than a 0.

Any comments?

[eyedigress]

Tied to funding?

[Jaysun]

I think that’s absurd.

[MaggieM]

10% is not bad.

I was a teachers aid, several years ago when my kids were in Jr High. Many kids didn't bother to do homework, let alone show up for class. When they did they were disruptive.

Ive noticed a trend, teachers are expected to be more than educators-they are babysitters, fill in parents and parole officers. Now it seems educating isn't even a part of their job.

And they wonder why we have a such a shortage of teachers.....

[StnCldTruth]

Yeah I got a comment but I can’t say what I’m thinkin in this forum...I will say this though...If there has never been a good enough reason for vouchers or some sort of school choice, I haven’t seen it!!!

[metmom]

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[metmom]

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I had someone tell me something similar, that teachers are hardly allowed to let kids fail anymore. They're under so much pressure from parents to pass.

[Gabz]

Should I teach my 9th grade class at a 6th grade level or less, so that most of them can pass?

Absolutely not...........but maybe the 6th, 7th, & 8th grade teachers ought to be doing more to bring up those levels.....

[ItsForTheChildren]

So they get 60% of it "right" for turning in nothing.

I'd have a comment, but I'm speechless.