Pomona High School has adopted a new policy beginning this semester. Students added an additional piece of paper to their stack to share with their parents: a permission slip in regards to the Falvo case. Parents were asked to make a decision as to whether or not their consent would be given to allow together students to grade their child’s papers and tests (exception given to those who are 18 and who may legally make the decision for themselves).

According to Principal Dee Kehl, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decided in favor of a parent of three elementary students who sued her school district over the issue. Jurists concluded that students grading other students’ papers was in violation of the federal Family Education and Privacy Act.

Seniors have gone through this learning process since they were in kindergarten and most of us have turned out fine. And I am fairly sure that those of us with problems can not blame the fact that somebody else has graded our papers. Jeffco lawyers confirm this thought by stating in the permission slip that is in the best interest of the students to sometimes grade each other’s papers. “We believe this practice is educationally sound and helps students became active learners and critical thinkers.”

If we honestly looked at the world today, we would see that laws are broken day by day; nobody can weave out all the loopholes in life. Why should schools get rid of a system that is helping students learn for the better? In reality it does not change anything, other than adding another dead tree to the river of life by wasting valuable time, as well as ink.

If a student believed he was embarrassed before, how do you think he feels now after his parents have checked off the box to not give their consent? The student will stick out like a sore thumb. By indicating that he does not want anybody else to know his grade, it will seen like he’s acting as though he is hiding something.

It is time for students to face who they are and stop hiding behind their parents because I hate to say it, parents will not be there forever. (Can you imagine having Mommy call a boss or a college professor to complain that people know what kind of job you are doing?!)

Too many people are hypersensitive. Students should be their own person. Sooner or later students will face the same situation in the “real world” when somebody else will critique their work, so why not start now?

The experience of grading another person’s work helps students understand and also motivates them to do their best. Besides half the time, students do not care whose work they are grading. They just want to know how they did. The other half of the time they are checking friends’ work, which will allow them to be better able to help them, as they will be more familiar with their strengths and weakness.

Teachers should not have to waste their time in doing the permission slip or going the roundabout way of assigning random numbers to students. And teachers certainly do not have the time to grade every assignment and quiz for 150 plus students.

It just amazes me that a court ruling half way across America can affect so many classrooms. Oh, look! It is the almighty cause and effect response!