A teacher rates the parents

In response to a letter writer's proposal for a "scientific" method of evaluating teachers, which asks an array of subjective questions ["How to grade teachers?" April 14], I, as a teacher, propose the following: Teachers should be able to evaluate parents with questions like these:

Do you motivate your children and impress upon them the importance of their education?

Do you provide a home environment conducive to supporting learning? Do you ensure your children are studying and doing their homework?

Do you care about the way your children dress and act?

Do you impress upon your children the concept of respect for their teachers and administrators?

Do you allow the school's discipline system to do its job or are you the "squeaky wheel" who will do anything and everything to get your child out of trouble -- even threatening to bring in a lawyer?

Do you model the respect that you seek? (I have been accused of being too hard a grader and too strict, despite the oh-so-important test results that support my methods.)

Too many of my students' parents talk to me as though I know nothing about children or parenting, that I have no concept of the "real world." They try to explain to me how wearing a tie makes me a better teacher and authority figure, and assume that teaching a child about something means we are attempting to undermine them and their viewpoint. They do not understand that homework is often a reinforcing task meant to help the child retain information through repetition.

This so-called "scientific" rating system will essentially be a popularity contest. That school bully may be closer by than you think.

Matthew Searing

Manorville