Message from the Principal

....setting individual goals for students might be something you want to consider. This can be done by challenging the entire class to raise their grade by five points from the Fall to the Spring semester. Or you might meet with each student to set a specific individual goal....

I have nothing against challenging students to raise their grades, 5, 10 or 20 points. I encourage them all the time to do this. If a 20 student gets a 30, I praise the 10 point growth and push them to do 20 points better. Over time, I believe the student might be able to pass, and pass with a really good grade. In fact, by using this praise method last term, I helped encourage a boy who was getting 0's to get a 77 on the regents (and he had only taken Math 3/4--he still needs one more course to finish the sequence).


I do however object to the meeting with students individually. When I mentioned this in my usual whiny way to my husband, he said "that is a great idea. why not do this twice a week instead of tutoring?" I told him that idea had been suggested and rejected by Principal Suit. Too many teachers took advantage of situations like this and did nothing. As much as I hate to admit it, he is probably correct. Still, there are plenty of us that do the right thing. We are not being penalized, our students are. If I can't meet with the kids during my professional period, the only periods left are lunch (I do like to eat occasionally) and prep (there are copies to be made and papers to mark). There has got to be a way for good ideas like this one to be put into place. Administrators: I call on you to find the way to let me meet individually with my 150+ students to set the goals that will help them succeed.