Gone Goes the Grade Bunch
The story summary (short barebones draft — we can totally change this!):
Marks Elementary School was a small school in a small town. The skies were always gray above the school, and the kids who attended the school were downtrodden and sad. The reason for the drudgery? There were a bunch of grades who basically ruled the school. A long time ago, the teachers at the school were looking for an easier way to measure student learning, so they entered into a contract with the Grade Bunch, Inc. The teachers agreed to give up their control so that the grades could make things go smoother and easier for everyone. At first, this agreement worked pretty well — everyone was happy. But then the grades began to show how powerful they’d become. In fact, they began bullying the teachers and the students. [Intro to a scene of dialogue between a student and the grades: “The grade bunch wanted every student’s work to look the same and sound the same. They expected the students to follow these rules. When a child expressed some creativity, it was quickly cut down by the grades.”]
They would hold regular board meetings at the school. The chairman of the board, Mr. A+, would lead these meetings and would get regular reports from the vice-chairman. Mr. B. The secretary who took the notes at these meetings was Mr. C, and the treasurer was Mr. D. Rounding out Grade Bunch, Inc. was Mr. F, the head of security at Marks Elementary. The goal of these meetings? To make sure that everyone at the school — the teachers and the kids — were following the rules that the grades had established. You see, the grades wanted to be everything for everyone at the school. No day would go by without a mention of grades. No learning activity could be held without a grade at the end. Eventually, Grade Bunch, Inc. moved into the school and began to live there. They moved into the classrooms, worked out in the gym, slept in the library, and ate their meals in the cafeteria. They were everywhere. This was not in the original contract — this was a hostile takeover! (revised: the grades had invaded!)
Until one fateful day when an electric storm sent a lightning bolt that hit the roof of Marks Elementary School and set it on fire! The school burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed — the books, the plants, the gym equipment, the tables, the desks, the chairs. But something else was destroyed in the fire that day — Grade Bunch, Inc. was a total loss! All of its members were among the ashes of everything else in the school. [Will change this to a CLIMATE crisis — a climate of grades –that got so heated and competitive that it was killing happiness and joy of learning, a focus on student empowerment. — idea from Jane]
While the insurance company looked at the damage and the town began making plans to rebuild their school, the teachers and students moved into temporary trailers that would serve as their home for the rest of the school year. On the first day being in the makeshift trailers, the kids noticed that the sky was a sparkling blue and that the sun shined down as it had never shown before. The teachers seemed to be lighter and more relaxed — they had smiles for the children and walked around as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The children, too, were happy and began using phrases like “I can” rather than “I can’t” or “I don’t know.”
Why this difference? Then it dawned on them that Grade Bunch, Inc. was no longer in their school, sucking up all the joy and fun in learning. There were no grades infiltrating everything. Teachers and students began having really cool conversations about their classes, and the students began to like school once again. They were curious and kept having “a-ha” moments! Instead of using grades to measure their students, teachers began to celebrate their students’ growth, and the students themselves were no longer afraid of grades and all of their horrible stress. In fact, students began to enjoy making mistakes or missing the mark since they knew that their teachers would encourage them and give them good feedback to do better the next time. Instead of grade charts in the classrooms, there were growth charts. Everyone could grow now!
When the construction of the new school was completed, the town decided to rename its school The Growth Academy. And Grade Bunch, Inc.? They were never heard from again.
