I am anticipating that this post may be among the most unpopular posts I will write as a blogger. My position on this topic certainly did not win me the “most popular guy” award when I was a secondary teacher. I remember when Barry Goldwater ran for President; there was a saying that “He would rather be right than be President”. That was a testament to the man’s core beliefs. That seems to be a dying quality given the examples of politicians today. The point however is that sometimes there are issues that we must hold true to, even at the expense of our own popularity or acceptance by others.
As teachers, we accept the fact that we have to put aside our political beliefs in the role as educator. For the most part educators accept the fact that politics and education should be separated. We need to do this to explore critical thinking. We can talk about issues when appropriate, but hopefully, it will be in a fair and unbiased discussion of the facts and not the politics of an issue. Most educators accept this and support it as a concept. As a highly opinionated person, I often found this to be one of my most difficult goals to accomplish, but I believed that it was an imperative that I had to follow. I believe that most educators agree that there are some things that should not be brought into the classroom in order to maintain and promote an atmosphere for academic discussion free of negative influences of any kind. Of course there are subject-specific cases in social studies classes where political discussions might be appropriate.
As an educator, my observation of educators is that they are caring individuals who are people oriented. They love to teach and they love to help mankind in general. Helping people is in their DNA. It is that very trait that is the main cause driving too many educators to often for very good reasons do a very bad thing. Today, with our economy in the state that it has been in for the last few years, there are many opportunities for people to involve themselves with charitable projects either as individuals or as part of a group. Some of the most effective contributors to charities are individuals with access to groups of people. It enables them to access their sources for money, goods, or labor to help any charitable organization. The causes are always good with a heartfelt need for support. That is the problem.
Teachers, or administrators enlist kids in these efforts to help with all of the best of intentions. I agree that we should instill in kids the willingness to give and to help others. I must draw the line however at how we accomplish this. Too often some believe that in the name of charity that the end justifies the means. There are educators who tie children’s participation in a charitable event to the grade those kids will receive on a paper, project, or class participation grade. Ultimately, a student’s participation in a teacher’s selected charity, no matter how worthwhile a cause, will be reflected in a grade that is supposed to reflect student learning in a specific subject. Of course it is even more egregious when administrators support the efforts in the same manner on a school wide basis. I don’t know about other states, but this is against the law in New York.
To oppose this injustice to kids is usually translates to opposing a specific charity or even the act of charity itself. That is what makes dealing with this so difficult. I oppose it because it makes some kids uncomfortable. I oppose it because now, it places kids, whose families may be struggling financially, at an academic disadvantage. I oppose it because teaching should be about learning and not if kids can take stuff from home to give to a teacher’s cause. Few kids own money or goods. They get stuff from their families. If the families do not have it to give, why should the kids be put in a position to feel that pain and then be penalized academically for that as well? They can’t get that extra credit that the other more financially capable kids are privileged to obtain. The fact of the matter is that many of the kids being asked to give, might very well be the recipients of charities themselves.
How to give is an important lesson. We should all learn that lesson and learn it well. However, we should not, as educators, attach a grade of any kind, for any reason to anything a kid does or doesn’t do in the name of charity. As much as we believe in a cause or charity we shouldn’t cram our beliefs down the throats of others especially if they can’t afford it. We can have collection areas for goods and money in common areas but not specific classrooms where people keep track of who contributes and who doesn’t. That maintains contributions and the dignity of individual students.
Now, I must go off to have a discussion with one of my daughter’s teachers, the thought of which prompted this post. This usually is a topic at Christmas time, but the economy being what it is, has focused this subject to be a more year-round discussion with more and more caring educators. And so goes the decline in my popularity, and reputation as a humanitarian. I do believe that as educators, if we are to have grades at all, they should never reflect whether or not a child’s family can support a charity.
My Island View 
I couldn’t agree with you more, Tom. I don’t have anything to add because you nailed it, in my opinion. I could never abide by attaching a grade to fundraising in any way. That undermines the entire point of giving.
Shannon
I enjoy reading your postings from ‘afar’ as an often anonymous but admiring reader. Keep up the good writing – more people read you than you probably realize.
Thanks Jim.
More people indeed! It’s a shot in the dark, Jim, but do you happen to be the Jim Dorn who works at CATO?
Ah, never mind! I just clicked your site, Jim. For a second there, I thought you were my neighbor!
I don’t see any problem incentivizing a kids involvement in a cause (volunteering, fundraising, etc.). The incentive may drive the initial action, but it’s the experience of giving that teaches/changes ones life.
However, grades based on the amount of money you give isn’t cool (not sure if that’s what you were saying though).
I have to respect someone who is willing to write the kind of courageous posts that may lose him popularity or readers.
A few schools over the last few years have been criticized for offering grades in exchange for money. It seems quite obvious that this is not acceptable in any way, but raising money for charity for a grade is certainly the same thing in my book. In the end, I don’t believe children need any real encouragement to be charitable. I just hope they see the people closest to them being charitable as well.
Some excellent points. What would you thoughts be if the extra credit were tied to something other than money donations. For example a student could do a presentation on a charity or foundation. This activity would create awareness about a cause. Perhaps students could volunteer some hours to a group or activity.
I am not sure you are correct in assuming a loss of popularity. It certainly raises some points for reflection and reflection is a critical aspect of growth as an educator.
Encourage students to give to other beyond themselves, through money, goods or time? That is a great idea…but to tie it to classroom grades is not. Better, how about the students come up with a charity *they* want to support versus what the teacher says they should support. I can see a lot of learning potential in that scenario.
I believe in student-led/driven action that may getting involved with a charity. Now, I don´t believe that should be chosen by the teachers and I don´t believe it should be graded. I also consider very tokenistic to make students “feel good” about doing something for someone that just involves giving money. It that is graded…even worse.
Cheers from Uruguay!
r u seriously saying that in the US kids grades may be tied to how much money they raise for charity……omg
Charity is about character development, not academic excellence.
Understanding the social, political, and economic reasons behind hardship is academic excellence.
Keep the two separate.
Good post.
Janet | expateducator.com
Interesting, Tom. I agree, donations for grades is totally wrong. But I also wonder about general, public charity projects in schools. I’ve seen fundraisers where people (students, teachers, etc) get a sticker or button to wear if they donate (it can be a penny or a dollar, doesn’t matter). So all see who donated and who didn’t. That creates the same pressure on kids who may not be able to afford it, and shows teachers and admins who did and who didn’t donate.
I pretty shocked reading this from the UK. I totally support Tom’s view and am astonished that such things go on. Never heard of anything similar over here. Has made me reflect on what happens in the UK though. We have ‘dress-down’ days where children can come to school dressed in their own clothes (rather than school uniform) as long as they donate a small amount to the relevant charity. The charity is normally a UK wide one. Would this be illegal in New York? is it too morally directive?…the pier pressure to participate is huge!
Thanks for your insights. I am a lifetime volunteer and committed advocate of volunteerism and CS. But that’s my choice and passion and I’d never presume it to be anyone else’s -least of all my students or collegues. Though some programs -such as the World IB curriculum require it I am not convinced that it’s an effective way to develop a culture or ethos of giving in individuals or communities. A case in point; I once worked at a school where Community Service was made mandatory for all students and teachers… It went over like a lead ballon and only lasted about a year… Lesson learned: we can’t force volunteerism and a genuine spirit of altruism can not and shouldn’t hinge on a grade; at its worse, policies like this are a recipe for cynicism and apathy. Thanks again for your post and tweets!
Just to clarify when I say “committed advocate” I mean on an elective basis – perhaps “participant’ would be a better choice of words… In any case, interestingly, the volunteer gene seems to be in many, many people’s DNA!
” There are educators who tie children’s participation in a charitable event to the grade those kids will receive on a paper, project, or class participation grade. Ultimately, a student’s participation in a teacher’s selected charity, no matter how worthwhile a cause, will be reflected in a grade that is supposed to reflect student learning in a specific subject.”
I’m totally flabbergasted, as an International Educator, I have never heard of this practise and I would totally abhor it in any form.
Well done for speaking up!
Thank you so much! I found this blog because my daughter just received an assignment requiring her to participate in an event and collect donations for a charity. While I agree that it is a great cause, it is wrong for a teacher to require it. You said it all so eloquently.