I have just seen a report about this on the news. A school district north of Dallas, Plano ISD, is running a pilot program that states students will not have grades on homework assigned by teaches and if a student cheats they can make it up at a later date.
While I understand the ideology behind the move, I don't agree. Many teachers are now required to provide students with at least a 50 on assignments and grading periods regardless of whether the student earned this grade or not. This has been done to in an effort to "ensure success" of students even when students fail.
How are we helping these students? We teach them that there is always a second chance when there often isn't when they are older. We teach them that there aren't consequences to inappropriate actions at school. In essence, we are teaching them that it is okay to cheat as long as you don't get caught and that there is always a second chance.
When you consider that many individuals that thought it was okay to cheat on their taxes are now sitting in jail and don't have a second chance, this ideology may need to be reconsidered. How are we helping our students by not expecting students to do homework? I believe that we are creating a culture of apathy by not preparing students at a young age how to be responsible. This will carry over into our workforce and create multiple problems in the social sector of our country.
As concerned as we are about a public schools failing, why would we encourage this type of practice that would promote less accountability of our students when our accountability standards as educators are raising?
