Last week, when I was glancing through an issue of Seventeen magazine, I noticed an article about the two-year-old website ratemyteachers.com. The article enthusiastically and uncritically pushed the website as a place for students to anonymously lavish praise on their favorite teachers - and make critical comments about ineffective or just plain bad teachers.
Unsurprisingly, Education Week now reports that the site is coming under fire from some educators as being "irresponsible" and possibly "libelous":
The site is also attracting unexpected participants: Some teachers are posing as students in order to critique their colleagues, posting hurtful messages for everyone on the Internet to see...
In most schools, students don't get the chance to evaluate their teachers, [the owner of the site] noted. Even in places where such procedures exist, stigma is attached to expressing opinions..."This provides a venue that is more anonymous," added Mr. Davis, who teaches special education in Bakersfield, Calif., and asked his school not be identified...
Critics, however, give the site low marks. Students are able to post incorrect information or make nasty remarks about teachers without being held accountable, said Kathleen P. King, a professor of adult education..."They are more or less putting it out there with very little constraint or validation," Ms. King said of the site's operators, "and that's a big issue."
Actually, that's the Internet. There's nothing to stop a student from starting a similar site, or even a blog about their own school that is anonymously run. Constraining an Internet site from posting information is close to impossible, unless one has deep pockets and goes the $cientology route (suing anyone and everyone who posts confidential or critical information).
Are there spiteful and obnoxious comments being posted? I'm sure. But unless schools provide students with the chance to provide feedback (in perhaps the same fashion that collegians rate their professors), the students are going to find somewhere to make their comments. This is just desserts for schools that promote teachers based solely on seniority, and not on quality of teaching. My guess is that some schools are afraid of any critique of their teaching staff whatsoever, especially by the people who are the consumers of that teaching.
Posted by kswygert at September 17, 2003 10:07 AM