Students across Arizona and across the country are learning away from school, as the coronavirus pandemic has led all 50 states to at least recommend closing public schools.
In some states, like Arizona, the closure has been mandated. And, while students are learning remotely, there’s been a debate over whether or not those students’ work should be graded as it would if they were in school.
Rodney Robinson is a teacher in Virginia and was named the 2019 national teacher of the year. And he made a plea on Facebook recently, arguing it’s unfair and inequitable to continue grading students right now.
"You’ve got underserved communities, especially communities of color, they might not have WiFi," Robinson said. "Or their parents are being forced to work from home, as well. And so students do not have access to the computer because the parents are trying to earn a living to keep the lights on by using the computer throughout the day. And it’s unfair for schools to ask parents to give up their means of income so that a student can do an assignment — it’s just ridiculous to have that ask of our parents of our students today."
Robinson isn’t just worried about students as they come to terms with their new reality. In his Facebook post, he told parents to “not allow school systems to pressure you into graded assignments.” He says there are more important things than grades right now — mainly kids’ social-emotional mindsets.
"And, quite honestly, academics need to take a backseat to the mental health and the emotional well-being of students," Robinson said. "And I really think that some school districts are starting to admit that."
Robinson’s post sparked conversation among teachers here in Arizona, as well, including Arizona’s 2019 teacher of the year, Kareem Neal. He’s a special education teacher at Maryvale High School in the Phoenix Union High School District.
He joined The Show to share his opinion on whether or not students should be getting grades while they’re not physically in school.
