Is displaying a poster listing students who won't graduate shaming them?

[marylander1940]

A Shiprock, New Mexico, middle school principal has been placed on leave for allegedly displaying a poster listing students who wouldn't be graduating to the next grade.

 

The Farmington Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/1TgvAEY) that district officials put Principal J. Kaibah Begay on leave Wednesday.

 

Central Consolidated School District spokesman James Preminger says the administration learned Tuesday that Tse Bit'a'I Middle School had put up a poster in a hallway identifying 100 students who wouldn't be promoted.

 

The school has more than 480 students between sixth and eighth grade.

 

Preminger said Friday that interim Superintendent Colleen Bowman issued an apology, calling the poster an "ill-conceived attempt" to motivate students.

 

Begay could not be reached for comment.

 

The district's human resources director will be acting principal until the last day of school May 27.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexico-principal-leave-student-shaming-poster-39118736

[maninsoma]

Yes, it is shaming them. I happen to think that a little shaming isn't always a bad motivator, but I think this act was not a good idea.

[Nvr2Thick]

When I was in high school they used to post class rank on a bulletin board in the main hallway. Everyone crowded to look for the top ranked, themselves within the rank, and the bottom ranked. We had about 450 students in my class. It could be assumed that starting around #420 you were hitting the students who would not graduate. A student could, however, be ranked much higher and not graduate if he or she were failing one required class or not meeting a requirement.

 

I think that grades, rank, and school performance should be kept confidential.

[rvwnsd]

I do not think the poster was the right way to approach the situation. A better approach would have been to determine why roughly 20% of the middle school class would not be advancing to the next grade level. That seems to be an awfully high number. I wonder how this principal would feel if her picture was posted on a highway billboard with the words "20% NON ADVANCEMENT RATE" plastered below her face.

 

PS: I don't believe shaming is appropriate nor do I think it works.

[+ deej]

PS: I don't believe shaming is appropriate nor do I think it works.

 

#THIS

 

Shaming is penalizing. The goal should be motivating. I'm betting that the focus on shaming instead of motivating has something to do with the 20% non-advancement rate.

[gallahadesquire]

On a similar note, a placard denoting who is advancing would be equally detrimental.

[Nvr2Thick]

#THIS

 

Shaming is penalizing. The goal should be motivating. I'm betting that the focus on shaming instead of motivating has something to do with the 20% non-advancement rate.

 

On a similar note, a placard denoting who is advancing would be equally detrimental.

 

Exactly. The valedictorian and salutatorian as well as the National Honor Society and a few other achievement awards are intended for both recognition and motivation.

[+ WmClarke]

Yes, it is shaming them. That principal has no business being in the education field.

 

When my father was in high school, he got expelled. Why? Because the principal posted a list in the hallway of which students received free lunches. My father (who was not on the list) ripped it down. It was a small town. Everyone knew everyone else and probably knew who was getting assistance. It's the PUBLIC posting of the information that is wrong. Unless the principal's goal was to shame himself, it was a failure.

 

Shaming does not work.

[+ purplekow]

I do not think the poster was a good idea. However, facts are facts. These kids did not advance and it will be clear to everyone who cares who did and did not advance. Now these kids are faced with telling their friends themselves or waiting until the next semester when it will be obvious.

Tbe real shame here is on the educational system which has such a low advancement rate. It may be this school is in an area in which academic achievement is traditionally low, low income areas. Even so, 20% failure is high, though there are some states in which high school graduation rates are less than 75%.

Of course, the stressing of the importance of education starts in the home. In my opinion, in American society as a whole, education seems to be down the priority list.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/12/latest-high-school-graduation-rates-state-by-state/

[+ bigjoey]

I do not think the poster was the right way to approach the situation. A better approach would have been to determine why roughly 20% of the middle school class would not be advancing to the next grade level. That seems to be an awfully high number. I wonder how this principal would feel if her picture was posted on a highway billboard with the words "20% NON ADVANCEMENT RATE" plastered below her face.

 

PS: I don't believe shaming is appropriate nor do I think it works.

 

I hope someone looks into the 20% failure rate. That is not acceptable and indicates something is wrong.

[rvwnsd]

On a similar note, a placard denoting who is advancing would be equally detrimental.

I completely agree with you.

[+ Charlie]

Posting a list of those who won't be graduating is obviously intended to be shaming; it is different from posting a list that only names those who will be graduating, which is more like announcing those members of a group who are getting awards, or listing awards next to the names of students on a graduation roll.

 

I used to post my students' final grades on my office door, with the names blocked out and just the last four numerals of the Social Security number visible. The students liked it, because it meant that they didn't have to wait until they received their grades from the college in the mail. However, the administration eventually banned that practice, because they said it violated new federal laws protecting the confidentiality of student records. I'm surprised that the principal would think a public list of those who weren't graduating would be permissible.

[+ bigjoey]

I completely agree with you.

 

As purplekow pointed out, next Fall, it will be clear who failed. I can still remember a boy in the class ahead of mine in grade school appearing in my class in the Fall and everyone knowing he was held back and repeating the grade.

[whipped guy]

When doing my post grad work we had a similar list when we took final exams for a given course and ultimately for graduation. However it was anonymous as everyone was assigned a number. Everything was graded on a pass fail basis. If you were listed below a certain line you failed. The listing was according to rank so it did give you a good indication of where you came in on the scale in relation to others in the class.

 

Of course a few students disappeared along the way and most notably at the end of the four year program when a certain few did not show up for graduation. As such the anonymity was lost!

[Frequentflier]

I agree some people have no business being involved with teaching children or adults. Maybe those people are better suited to living alone and far in the woods. I also think having huge books of rules and regulations just means one isn't hiring the right people. Either people have an acceptable minimum level of common sense, the ability to think (like I do - haha) before acting and able to empathize with others or they don't. Bad DNA means a bad hire.

 

You can't cure mean, just eliminate the carrier.

[rvwnsd]

I agree some people have no business being involved with teaching children or adults. Maybe those people are better suited to living alone and far in the woods....

This struck me as being funny, as the school is located in a remote part of New Mexico on a Navajo reservation.

[whipped guy]

I agree some people have no business being involved with teaching children or adults. Maybe those people are better suited to living alone and far in the woods. I also think having huge books of rules and regulations just means one isn't hiring the right people. Either people have an acceptable minimum level of common sense, the ability to think (like I do - haha) before acting and able to empathize with others or they don't. Bad DNA means a bad hire.

 

You can't cure mean, just eliminate the carrier.

 

This struck me as being funny, as the school is located in a remote part of New Mexico on a Navajo reservation.

 

Heck! When one has "the ability to think" he is innately capable of making jokes, and even if not consciously thinking about it! It's a rare talent! It's all in the DNA!

[sincitymix]

When I was in high school they used to post class rank on a bulletin board in the main hallway. Everyone crowded to look for the top ranked, themselves within the rank, and the bottom ranked. We had about 450 students in my class. It could be assumed that starting around #420 you were hitting the students who would not graduate. A student could, however, be ranked much higher and not graduate if he or she were failing one required class or not meeting a requirement.

 

I think that grades, rank, and school performance should be kept confidential.

they post class rankings all the time in asia.

[+ quoththeraven]

When I was in high school they used to post class rank on a bulletin board in the main hallway. Everyone crowded to look for the top ranked, themselves within the rank, and the bottom ranked. We had about 450 students in my class. It could be assumed that starting around #420 you were hitting the students who would not graduate. A student could, however, be ranked much higher and not graduate if he or she were failing one required class or not meeting a requirement.

 

I think that grades, rank, and school performance should be kept confidential.

 

Grades were posted in college, but by SSN, so no individuals were identifiable.

[LADoug1]

It's shaming. Why not post the dismal failure rate and what plans, if any, the principal has in mind to improve the problem. Or is that shaming too?

[+ quoththeraven]

It's shaming. Why not post the dismal failure rate and what plans, if any, the principal has in mind to improve the problem. Or is that shaming too?

 

This might work in other cultures. Many East Asian cultures, for example, are partially shame-based.

 

At the risk of igniting a controversy over Tiger Moms, I will say that the toll can be too high, but having high expectations also produces results.

[+ FreshFluff]

This might work in other cultures. Many East Asian cultures, for example, are partially shame-based.

 

At the risk of igniting a controversy over Tiger Moms, I will say that the toll can be too high, but having high expectations also produces results.

 

I'd be the last to argue with you about high expectations. But there are limits to how much you can overclock a kid's brain. And no result--no USAMO medal, no university acceptance, no multi-billion dollar hedge fund--is ever worth calling your kid a piece of trash.

[+ quoththeraven]

I'd be the last to argue with you about high expectations. But there are limits to how much you can overclock a kid's brain. And no result--no USAMO medal, no university acceptance, no multi-billion dollar hedge fund--is ever worth calling your kid a piece of trash.

 

I agree. But I don't know if those same tactics are as destructive in situ, so to speak.

 

The female half of green card holders from Shanghai we knew threatened to call DYFS on a misbehaving son. In our culture, that's destructive and wrong. Would the equivalent back home be? IDK.

[marylander1940]

This might work in other cultures. Many East Asian cultures, for example, are partially shame-based.

 

At the risk of igniting a controversy over Tiger Moms, I will say that the toll can be too high, but having high expectations also produces results.

 

or dragon moms!

 

We should also remember in China couples usually have 1 child and his parents have a lot of expectations.