TDOE hosts town hall on letter grades for students
DYERSBURG, Tenn. — State education leaders hosted a meeting with school leaders, parents, and community members to discuss plans for assessing student performance.
The Tennessee Department of Education conducted a regional public town hall in Dyersburg to discuss the best methodologies for assigning school letter grades.
These grades, ranging from “A” to “F,” will gauge the effectiveness of K-12 schools in the state in terms of student support and academic achievement.
Many attendees who were granted an opportunity to comment during the event expressed opposition to the proposed letter grading system.
“My biggest concern is that we’re eroding trust in public education. When we look at the unknown, and the things that change, I don’t know how you’re going to pull this off and not erode trust,” said Jonathan Criswell, Director of Schools for Milan Special School District.
“This is a disaster, and I’m gonna tell you why. If you’re in a community and this school’s got an ‘F’ and this school’s got an ‘A,’ where do you think everyone is going to run to? It just looks like we’re creating something else that is going to constantly tear down,” said Carlton Gerrell, a community member.
State education leaders articulated that their objective is to involve the public in the process of developing a school letter grade system from “A” to “F” that equips them with the necessary information to comprehend school performance.
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