Should students grade their teachers?- Chloe Hartje

For years, districts across the nation have been trying to better assess how teachers perform in classrooms. Schools primarily use student test scores and principal observations to judge this, but are these measures enough? A new idea has been proposed and even put into effect in some states: student evaluations.

Researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Panorama Education created a survey to measure student’s perceptions of teaching and learning. The survey assesses 19 different topics ranging from classroom environment to school safety. It is completely anonymous and respects the students’ privacy. Although there is some debate, student evaluations may be a breakthrough in the education system. by Chloe Hartje

Yes, why not? A complaint about the current method of assessing teacher performance is that it is too narrow. Standardized tests do not always accurately represent a student’s full knowledge of a subject and principals oftentimes only make it to the classrooms a couple of times out of the year. That being said, student surveys may be the solution.

“It’s a good idea,” said LHS junior Sophia Boyd. “Teachers have different styles that sometimes work for me and sometimes not. If we could give them feedback besides just our test results it would be better.”

These evaluations are based on the teacher’s interest in the subject, efficiency, effectiveness, student engagement and more. They can get a clear picture of what is happening in the classroom as well as student perspectives of the school as a whole. Because of the time spent interacting in the classroom, students know their teachers well and can give feedback and serve as a guide. This allows teachers to see their progress as well as be aware of their strengths and weaknesses to provide the best environment for their students. By working harder in the areas that need improvement, students may find some classes more enjoyable and, in turn, their attendance may improve as well.

Additionally, by incorporating student evaluations in the education system, students may feel more equal and responsible for their own learning. Listening to the students’ opinion is a critical part of shaping a good school.

No way! On the other hand, there are some criticisms regarding student evaluations. Some students may have a bias against their teachers, which would impact the results. For example, students may be more critical towards “hard” or strict teachers, while they may be overly generous towards “easy” teachers that are slacker in the classroom.

Many people argue that students simply do not have enough maturity or understanding to answer reasonably. For the most part, teachers have a larger perception of student’s needs that kids couldn’t care less about. Students may be upset with having homework, but it does help with learning and a better understanding of a concept. Similarly, students may not enjoy giving presentations in class, but it helps to improve communication skills.

“I don’t think students should be able to grade their teachers,” said LHS junior Nash Stenberg. “Teachers and administrators are trained and paid to do their job well. They went to college for four years to learn how to teach us, and we’re still just trying to make it out of high school.”

It is a possibility that the privilege of these surveys may be abused so that students can have less homework, be assigned fewer presentations or be allowed to use their phones more. Also, students may not even care to answer thoughtfully and honestly.

Although there are some rough edges around student evaluations, it is still a helpful option for schools looking to improve their classrooms. Already, districts in the U.S. have found benefits in using this method of feedback, particularly the Panorama Student Survey, to better school environments as well as student engagement. By allowing students to “grade” their teachers, schools may be able to shape their education system to best fit the students’ needs.