Is superintendent Vitti ignoring student accountability?

Is superintendent Vitti ignoring student accountability? - Let me first say I have been impressed so far with Superintendent Vitti. He has tackled testing, the learning schedule and bullies masquerading as principals and district staff. And where those issues are far from resolved he does have us after years of heading in the wrong direction, now heading in the right direction.

There however is one serious issue that he has yet to address, at least publically anyways and that is student accountability or specifically the lack thereof.

Students are still allowed to take grade recovery, formerly reserved for the truly deserving, for any reason.

Don’t come, make an effort or act up when you do? Hey it doesn’t matter because we will give you another bite of the apple through grade recovery. Superintendent Vitti should end grade recovery except for the truly deserving, kids who came to class and tried but just need a little more or kids who have verifiable and excused absences.

Even worse is teachers are still being told to watch their Ds and Fs. If teachers are cajoled into passing kids that don’t deserve it then what we have taught them a work ethic doesn’t matter. Well friends if they don’t learn this lesson at school many will never learn it and quite frankly that may be the most lesson many need the most. Superintendent Vitti should say no longer will teachers be told what grades to give and instead students should get the grades they deserve.

Finally discipline. Too many teachers still report the inmates are running the asylum as there are far too few consequences and remember for a consequence to be effective it has to be meaningful, for students who choose to act up. Like a work ethic many kids need to learn discipline at school because they don’t receive anything approaching it at home. Superintendent Vitti should immediately hold meetings with staff to develop meaningful consequences for maladaptive behavior and then implement those measures.

How can we in good conscious expect teachers to be accountable when we don’t hold far too many students accountable for their school work and behavior? If we truly want to reach our potential as a district then student accountability must be addressed and done so quickly.

He should do all those things if he wants to take us to the next level because doing less won’t do it.