It's great that this system is working for your daughter, but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. My DD might really enjoy it. One of my sons would probably resent it, and see it as more busy work forcing him to tell everyone what they already know because of online grading systems and weekly email summaries (possibly; we've been getting them for years, anyway). For me, the conferences are a way for teachers and parents to discuss known strengths and weaknesses, having had time to think about them and observe progress since the last meeting.
I expect that some young kids would experience a level stress over having to lead a conference that wouldn't be outweighed by whatever benefits they might receive.
As for owning their educations, I can't agree with you. Ownership implies an authority to make decisions that doesn't exist here: you can decide to do your homework or not. That's nothing new. And if you got a D on your science test, you don't need a graph to tell you that your grade is going down.
And again, what you've described in your messages sounds exactly like annual performance reviews in industry (it wouldn't surprise me if this model is built around that idea). I've been through performance reviews and have given them, and IMO, they can end up being poor substitutes for continuous communication. They work for some, but not for many. But more importantly, I don't think that elementary school is a good place to be putting young kids into a position that resembles a adult's job in industry.
Last edited by Val; 10/28/15 09:43 AM.
