Editorial: Interim grade reports, report cards waste time, paper, money.

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AAJHS has been using report cards and interim grade reports as well as using an online grade book.

Having these two things for grades wastes paper, time and money.

Having paper report cards and paper interim grade reports wastes time because it takes a day or two for the school to print out 1,560 copies and then more time to send them out to the students. By the time interim grade reports are sent home the students grades have dramatically changed. Most parents only look at the paper for a second or two and throw it away.

Additionally, by having report cards and interim grade reports it wastes paper by having 1,560 pieces of paper that some parents throw away as soon as they get them.  Most of the time the students don’t even give the paper to the parents.

Last, it wastes taxpayers money. By the time all of the papers are printed out and put in the envelopes they spend more money than needed because of the cost for ink, paper and envelopes. With Skyward, parents can easily check their child’s grade any time they want.

If parents want a paper copy of these documents there are smaller solutions needed instead of a blanket approach.

One solution would be for the school to email or text the parents an online copy of the report cards so they can easily see it without having the need to have a hard copy. Another solution would be for the school to survey parents at the start of the year to ask if they want a hard copy sent home. Then only those parents would receive the printed copy.

Eliminating printed interims and report cards is necessary.