Tora! Tora! Tora!

There's a lot of fuss in Alberta about this no-zero policy that some schools and/or school boards are instituting.  Basically, it's where teachers aren't allowed to give students a zero on a test or report. Instead, they have to mark it "incomplete".  There's a teacher who's being fired and may lose his teaching license for disobeying this rule, and another who's standing beside him in protest and may be fired.


Okay, so here's the thing...

The pro-zero people are adamant about how the world doesn't accept some layabout handing in his stuff after the buzzer, so why should schools reinforce this behaviour? Well, I guess there's two things about that:


1) Yes, it does. And it does it a lot.

Oh wait, you've never misgauged the time it takes to compile a report, write a computer program, paint a room, build an oil tank, convert a document, drive to work, figure out a problem, convince a group, etc. Did you get a zero? Perhaps, and being good and on time is obviously the best and always will be, but it's not always the end of the world if you're not. Have you ever shown up late for work, but then ended up putting in a much more productive day?

Would you, as a teacher, like to know that you finally got through to a student, even if it was outside the artificial boundary set by you or the curriculum? You might be the first person with enough patience to have waited and listened. You might be that teacher who's remembered for life. Remind me again why you got into teaching.

Perhaps you prefer the neatness of completely cutting off an effort based upon time. In the same way, multiple choice tests would be better...all those neat circles and overlays giving a quick, cold percentage...mmmmmm. Always the best way.


2) Since when are elementary, junior-high, and senior-high schools the last bastion of cruel-worldliness?

They weren't when you were there, but now they should be? Try not to be the old white male Republican for a second. Do you know anyone who is a slow starter, who chokes on tests? Did you have schoolwork at home not only unsupported, but actually as an object of derision? Did you have a shitty home life without supportive parents...or even a downright terrifying and dangerous home life such that doing schoolwork isn't even on your list? Were you able to safely sleep at night?

Thankfully I didn't have these issues thrust upon me at such an important time of my life, but I know people who did. I didn't used to understand that - that I wasn't always competing against someone with a similar support system - but to my small, slow-learning brain's credit, I now kind of get it.


Here's an excerpt from the Alberta Assessment Consortium on this:

One of the principles specifically relates to the need to separate achievement from effort.


4. Combining disparate kinds of results into a single summary should be done cautiously. To the extent possible, achievement, effort, participation, and other behaviors should be graded separately.
No-Zero Policy Alberta



So, to those brave teachers bucking an unjust system:

From my gut I understand your position and your frustration, but you've phrased the question wrongly, so you're getting the wrong answer. Now do your homework, go back to work, open your mind, and sit on the board that makes policy instead of being a rebel without a cause.

Thank you,
Paul