Four months after the MSD School shooting (Feb 14, 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla.)

Schools should “do no harm”

Editorial piece by Steve McCrea

Perhaps the discussion about “how to prevent the next school shooting” will go more smoothly if we start with: “First, do no harm.” Like the Hippocratic oath for doctors, this phrase could guide parents, teachers, students and school administrators toward a new way of describing what “schools” should look like.

I came to this conclusion after reading a PowerPoint by D. Scott Looney, headmaster of Hawken School in Cleveland, OH. The title of his presentation to the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) is even more direct: “School Shouldn’t Hurt.”

He starts the presentation with a history of grading (the A-F letter system began in 1908), and describes how grades have inflated. “In 1940, 15 percent of the grades at private colleges were within the A range; in 2008, the number was almost 45 percent” (Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz).

Looney quotes studies to point out that “grades tend to reduce the motivation to learn.” The focus shifts from “what more can I learn?” to “what do I need to do to get an A?” Looney then links “pressure to perform” with “mental health of students.” Stanford University’s provost observed that “we are seeing students struggling with mental health concerns, ranging from self-esteem issue to depression, anxiety and … suicidal behavior.” Harry Lewis, a former dean at Harvard College, said, “Too many students wake up in crisis, not knowing why they have worked so hard.” Looney concludes by proposing a new “mastery transcript” based on “achieving skills” (like badges for Boy Scouts) to eliminate the pressure of the Grade Point Average (GPA). (You can learn more about Looney’s project at Mastery.org, a consortium of 150 schools that aim to eliminate grading.)

"Angry and isolated"

Discussions about “how to prevent shootings” often focus on addressing the symptoms of mental anguish found in angry, alienated and isolated students who have been irritated by conditions at school. Thomas Toch in "High Schools in the Human Scale" (2002) argued that large high schools foster “alienation” and “isolation.” Do we need to divide large schools into smaller schools? And offer an alternative to the Grade Point Average? CLICK Here to read excerpts from Toch's book

In the months and years ahead, as the new security measures are put in place for schools in Broward County, I hope we can take time to look at the proposal that the Mastery Transcript Consortium is developing and look again at the benefits of creating smaller schools. Schools of the future could offer an alternative to A-to-F grades, schools could be smaller to reduce alienation and isolation, and administrators could offer training for teachers to shift toward coaching and away from lecturing. In the race to secure our schools, let’s take a moment to look at how the current structures and procedures have perhaps caused or provoked mental anguish in students. Let’s join Scott Looney and ask, “What can we change so that school stops hurting?”

483 words About the author: Steve McCrea has taught in charter schools and is now a test prep tutor in Fort Lauderdale. (954) 646 8246

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