Talking to parents about nontraditional grading practices

Q: “How can I help parents understand my nontraditional grading and assessment practices? I’m getting so much pushback this year that I’m considering going back to the old way because it feels like it might be easier. Can you please help?

A: If I had a dollar for every time a parent (or colleague) pushed back about the innovations I introduced in the classroom years ago, I’d be rich. The pushback you are feeling can be exhausting. When you put time and thought into nontraditional grading practices — whether that means standards-based grading, reassessment, no zeros, separating behavior from academic achievement, or offering more feedback and revision — it can be discouraging when families respond with confusion or frustration. The fact is that parents are advocating for a system they understand, which is the one they lived through. This new paradigm doesn’t make sense to them right away, so they object.

If you are considering going back to the old way because it feels easier, you wouldn’t be the first teacher to do that. But “easier” in the short term is usually not better for students in the long term. The goal is not to win every parent over immediately. It is to help families understand what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how it supports student learning, regardless of their struggles with the shift.