In defense of the F-word in K-16 education
Commentary is a regular UMSL Daily column written by members of the UMSL community.
Recently I received an email from a student unlike any message I have received in 40 years as a college professor. It is worth noting for what it says not so much about this student as about the culture we have now created within K-16 education in America. Commenting on the failing grade the student received in one of my courses, the individual wrote that s/he had “complied” with the paper and tests and that it was I, the instructor, who had failed insofar as I had not done what it took to enable a passing grade and had not given adequate warning of failure. The student concluded that “you should be embarrassed to give a student an F” and demanded a refund of the money charged for the course.
Never mind the fact that the student did not even bother to purchase the required textbook for the course much less read it, or that s/he came to class only sporadically, or that s/he had received an F on the midterm exam (which normally constitutes a “warning” that you may be at risk of failing and which, in combination with the F s/he received on the final exam and a D on the term paper, normally computes to an F grade); under the “new math,” a slate of poor grades during the semester (“formative assessments”) can be instantly wiped clean and the course grade (“summative assessment”) inflated simply by offering redos and/or extra credit, unless a teacher is as heartless as I seem to be.
And never mind the fact that I even went so far as to copy chapters in the book for the student when s/he claimed s/he could not afford the book, and gave this person (along with the entire class) an elaborate study guide prior to each exam indicating the questions on the tests. I also appended to the course syllabus a “Writing Caution” about dotting i’s, crossing t’s, making sure the paper was proofread before prof-read, and other common-sense tips. But where this student is coming from, evidently, it is no longer sufficient to hold a student by the hand. You must now literally hand the student a diploma.
Starting in K-12, and now extending into higher education, we have been cultivating a mindset where the F-word (“failure”) is no longer permissible, even when a student exerts almost zero effort. It begins in the early grades, where during the last several decades academic standards have collapsed to the point that kids receive gold stars or trophies for nonexistent (or trivial) achievement and are advanced to the next grade if they have a pulse. There is a well-intentioned effort to help struggling learners especially, since in the past they were often overlooked by schools, but in the process all learners are reduced to the lowest common denominator.
Many contemporary school administrators instruct their staff that “failure is not an option.” If you are a teacher who is told that, if you issue a failing grade, the fault lies with you and not the student, what are you to do, especially when such well-known professional development gurus as Robert Marzano and Rick Dufour are constantly cited in the latest education “research” and have been hired by principals to reinforce this message? (For example, Marzano, who puts the onus entirely on the teacher rather than the student or parent and who believes the right kind of “assessment-intervention” regimen can allow “all” students to “succeed,” is the featured speaker at an upcoming school administrators conference sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).
This model of education is now being transferred to the university level, as professors see many of the products of such K-12 training on college campuses in need of “support” (aka remediation), not only lacking basic academic skills and knowledge but the most rudimentary understanding of what it takes to become an “educated” person. Thus, on my campus and many others, “retention” centers are proliferating along with “early alert” warning systems designed to help students by sending them regular reminders to come to class, turn in work by the due dates and perform other basic obligations that can be gleaned if they simply read the syllabus. Thus, the “coddling” paradigm has been imported from K-12 into academia as we treat adults like children (while of course overlooking or excusing potentially harmful behaviors on grounds that these are adults and the college must not act in loco parentis). Many professors are trying to resist the decline in expectations – indeed, despite grade inflation there is still a high college dropout rate – but the combination of “equity” pressures along with cash-strapped colleges wanting to retain tuition-paying students is creating the perfect storm likely to lead to further erosion of standards.
Both left and right are to blame. On the left, there are those who push the “therapeutic model” – the idea that the student is a “patient” whose problems a school is supposed to fix and who is entitled to endless chances to mess up, redo work, and graduate to the next level in the name of “access” and “fairness.” On the right, there are those who push the “business model” – the idea that the student is a “customer” who is entitled to a school’s best customer-is-always-right “services” in the name of “market-style accountability.” President Obama wants to see “college readiness for all,” and many Republican state legislators want to see “higher graduation rates.” Between them, I am getting ready for more emails telling me what a lousy teacher I am.
J. Martin Rochester is a Curators’ Teaching Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. A version of this column first appeared on the website Education Gadfly Weekly.
Short URL: http://blogs.umsl.edu/news/?p=26067
Thank you Dr. rochester. Thank you for saying what so many are affraid to say. No longer is the student responsible for their own fate. It is never their own fault but of the book, the teacher, the class and so on and so on. I hope professors and students alike read this alike. I took one of your classes before, although I may not agree with your politics always I do agree with your teaching style. You were a great teacher.
-Adam Kerekanich
I completely agree with Dr. Rochester. I believe students need to understand that how well you do is completely on you. Being a student myself I have had many instuctors who I felt may have been unfair or non accomadating but as I was told when I was younger you suck it up and deal with it. The world isnt a nice place and no one will hold your hand and walk you through it. Your future employer is not going to make it easier, no s/he will fire you and hire the next person s/he feels qualified to do the job. If you want to be treated like an adult you should act as such and part of that means that excuses are useless because the job still has to be done.
-Lanre Jones
Ditto–Ditto! There is also an expectation of an “A” for simply doing the course work. To me an “A” requires going above and beyond what is expected.
–Mary E. Watkin
Preach on, Teach! I’m no longer in school and neither are my children. They too tried the “blame game” and the “pass the buck game” in a few courses. No, as a parent, I didn’t allow it. Parents, we must teach accountability to our children; start in pre-K and stick to it!
Bravo Dr. Rochester! I believe you are right on point. We have created a generation who are not held responsible, or accountable, for their actions. it is everyone else’s fault! I wrote an article, “Why Can’t We Hold Parents Accountable Anymore”, http://oldschoolteach.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/why-cant-we-hold-parents-accountable-any-more/ and I was called a parent-basher! Why? Because I spoke up and said what you are saying, where is the sense of accountability? You did everything you could and this student did not step up to the plate, and it’s your fault? How ridiculous! I teach 5th grade, and my colleagues and I see this every single day. Parents and students are not held accountable!
Providing assistance in the teaching phase of a process is acceptable, but the world is set up for success and failure. As a result, that is the way adults need to train children. If you fail, you fail; try again. F is a letter in the grading scale that denotes insufficient progress (i.e. not success).
Dr. Rochester,
As both a high school teacher and a student at UMSL, I have certainly experienced this cultural issue. My students think that a moderate amount of effort equals an “A,” and it is my fault when they do not receive the grade they want. Students are not held accountable for their actions. The question in the public sector for which I work is always, “What more could you be doing for the student?” You know very well from all your efforts with this particular student that doing more (study guides, calls home, tutoring, etc) is still not enough. Our culture has taught students that their grades are a result of how good of a teacher you are, rather than how good of a student.
Unfortunately, many teachers are pressured into giving out grades because of this issue. I know it happens at my school, and I think it happens to an extent at UMSL. I have gotten countless “A”s that I did not deserve for simply turning in assignments rather than going above and beyond. I think professors are under pressure from many different areas to give out good grades, regardless if they are deserved by the student. This mindset is just one of many contributing factors that are education system in America to fail miserably.
I appreciate you writing about this publicly.
Enjoyed this very much! Thank you. I always feel somewhat personally responsible when a student earns an F or D even though I know in my heart that I offered them all possible opportunities to improve and they neglected to take me up on the resources.
I couldn’t agree more! The only comment I will add is in regards to:
“On the right, there are those who push the “business model” – the idea that the student is a “customer” who is entitled to a school’s best customer-is-always-right “services” in the name of “market-style accountability.”
As a marketing/management major (and MBA student), I was always taught that the customer is not always right and that it is okay to “fire a customer”; that the best method for achieving success is looking out for what is truly right for the customer. Perhaps, this is best achieved by maintaining an institution with actually integrity rather than devaluing your “customers” degree by simply handing them out to everyone.
My degree and hard work is devalued by these handouts.
Unfortunately, this article spells out a sad state of truth in today’s society. And every action, has a reaction. Perhaps this is another reason why America’s educational system is failing compared to that of other countries- despite the all the money we seem to throw at it.
Wow, this is awesome. I passed my high school with outstanding grades, little to no studying, and wrote my papers during five minute breaks in classes the day they were due- with As. When I came to college, I obviously did not fare so well. Sure I thought I was “smart” and building self esteem in young people is important. But I wish I would have got the lessons in hard work long before college. It is a disservice to students to pass them without effort. I learned a lot more from those first couple Cs at UMSL than I ever did from an A class. Now when I get an A, I feel like I earned it. Do I still get Cs? Sure, but I know it was my priorities to blame, not the professor’s.
I appreciate the problem noted in these comments. It is real. There are genuine problems with both students and professors. I have also seen a professor hand held by her department (due to her mental illness problems) to the detriment of the students. Such a problem is less common, but the healthy balance is sometimes difficult to attain.
I appreciate the airing of this problem with the disgruntled student who refuses to take responsibility for his own failure. One needs to seriously analyze each situation before “blaming” a hard working instructor. Such situations are ludicrous if simply “making enough noise” or claiming “victim” status brings sympathy.
I take issue with one line: “It [the student email] is worth noting for what it says not so much about this student as about the culture we have now created within K-16 education in America.” This is the fallacy of the lonely fact. I think there is truth behind the rest of the post, but one failing student’s angry rant doesn’t support the resulting skewering of the K-12 system.
I soooo agree with all of these comments. I came into the education field later in life bringing my parenting experience with me. I consider myself a no-nonsense type of parent. Right is right and wrong is wrong. My kids have quirks and issues like any other kid, but I still hold them accountable for their responsibilities. I do take into consideration the individual child’s strengths and weaknesses, but as it has been mentioned in the aforementioned posts, the world is not going to care what issues they’re dealing with. If they can’t handle the rigors of a job, then they will be fired and forced to find one that they are qualified to handle successfully. It’s my job to prepare them for this reality. Great article!!
Nici, I can really relate to your post!! I, too, wish someone would have been forthright with me about just “skating” through in high school. I would’ve handled college so much better then I did.