A frustrated parent was venting to me. Their child is probably 2 years above grade level. At the parent-teacher conference, the teacher said.
Everything’s going great with Jimmy. Nothing to worry about.
The parent pressed, asking what Jimmy could be working on. The teacher just smiled and said, “Nothing! Everything’s fine.“
No Goal Beyond The Minimum
So, sure, Jimmy can meet the minimum grade level requirements. But is that really the extent of the school’s goals? The teacher has no concept of going beyond the minimum? No goal at all? (This is common in schools where requirements have replaced goals.)
Jimmy won’t be learning anything this year?
Why send them to school at all? At least, why send them to this school!
Needless to say, this parent (a very clever person themselves) is already looking for alternatives. Lots of parents are. And there are so many alternatives now – easily accessible to your brightest families.
This “everything’s fine” phrase is a huge red flag. It means teachers have no actual goal for their students other than “meet the minimum requirements” (read more about that here.
Other Red Flags Phrases
Students say, “I’m done. What do I do next?”
Teachers say:
- Read a book quietly.
- Add more color to your worksheet.
- Here’s another worksheet.
- Double check your work. Again.
- Go help your friends with their work.
Parents of advanced students do not want to hear that their kid is “reading a book” all day. They don’t want their students to be a peer tutor. They don’t want to see more low-level worksheets with a big 100% on top.
Yes, 100%s are a red flag themselves. But that’s a topic for another essay.