Despite favoring transparency, I’ve always fought putting my grades on-line.  Other teachers told horror stories of parents and students obsessively checking grades, and yet never quite mastering the system, the weighted categories, or the timing.

Selfishly, I argued that I didn’t go to their jobs and dig through their books, why should they dig through mine?  Furthermore, I was not interested in hearing from parents who thought I just wasn’t grading fast enough, when they had no understanding the restrictions I might be facing.  In the past, I’d happily received emails from parents asking about grades and happily gave them detailed notes on their student’s progress. 

So when we were required this year to put our grades on-line—it was inevitable—it took longer than I expected to hear from a parent about my pace, but it happened yesterday.  This parent asked for specific information about the grade (no problem), but then wanted to know how long it would be before the To Kill a Mockingbird essays would be graded (problem).

But I was prepared.  I had already typed up the following short form letter for such instances.  

Feel free to “borrow” it:

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I appreciate your concern about your student’s progress.  Rest assured that I am updating grades as quickly as having 40 students per class allows. The grade you see via the portal is the most current information available. Again, every other outstanding assignment will be graded as quickly as possible.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,


This is one step I have employed to keep my sanity in this crazy profession we call Education.  

So far, so good. TZT