New isn’t always better, different isn’t always bad
We are glad to see young people getting involved in the decision-making process. When eight Kennewick middle school students delivered to the school board 150 letters addressing their grading system, we were impressed.They sure weren’t looking at the rest of the community for role models. As a whole, adults are a demonstrably apathetic when it comes to attending school board or city council meetings.
Regardless of whether the grading system is revised, at least the students have a better feel for how to petition their elected officials.
That’s a lesson worth learning.
While the Tri-City Herald commends the class activity as “a lesson worth learning”, Kennewick School District administrators have disciplined Mrs. Smith in part for including her students in this decision-making process.
A letter of reprimand has been placed in Smith’s personnel file for the next three years.
The lesson for other Kennewick teachers is to maintain silence about district grading policy or risk a similar fate.
Apparently the school board and district administrators don’t value teacher input in decision-making but trust building principals to provide all needed information to determine the best district policies.