Tables turn for teachers

Teaching students how to effectively rate their teachers and professors by giving positive feedback and making them better education consumers is part of the work of Web sites like www.ratemyteachers.com and its sister site, www.ratemyprofessors.com.

Some students have plenty to say when it comes to rating their teachers and professors, but the sites haven't caught on with every school in the area.

During April, the sites tend to get more hits since students are beginning to plan for next year's classes.

"I get many, many e-mails from students who say they use the site each semester for planning their class schedules. This month, which is a big month for planning the summer and fall classes, we are on track for having 2 million student visits," said John Swapceinski, founder and owner of ratemyprofessors.com.

Student comments are anonymous, but registered users can respond in a message-board fashion. The comments at ratemyprofessor.com seem more organized and useful than those found at ratemyteachers.com.

Swapceinski said there are fewer deletions among the comments made by college students than by high school students. Comments are deleted if they are profane or libelous.

Both sites use a five-point scale for ratings. Central Junior High School and Central High in Cape Girardeau were ranked 3.9. and 4.1, respectively. But few of the remarks were from students attending this year. However, 15 of the 23 teachers at Central High who had been rated were given outstanding popularity marks.

Jackson schools were rated at 4.1 on the scale, with the most attention given to the high school's music department.

When people first heard about ratemyteachers.com, they assumed it would be a place for "teacher-bashing," but the idea is to be a resource for students, parents and educators, said Michael Hussey, co-founder.

About 70 percent of the comments posted are positive, he said. And when the site catches on at a particular school, the ratings tend to be more accurate.

New York schools have the most active group of students posting comments. But the ratings range from California elementary schools to high schools in Houston. Locally, there are listings for schools in Advance, Altenburg, Benton, Cape Girardeau, Dexter, East Prairie, Jackson, New Madrid, Scott City and Sikeston.

Both sites are designed for student use, though there are components for parents at ratemyteachers.com and many instructors do read the postings.

"Filling out evaluations and then not having access to the data, which is what happens at most campuses, is of almost zero benefit to students," said Swapceinski of ratemyprofessors. com.

Even high school students can benefit although they aren't often able to choose a class based on who's teaching it. "Students should know what they're getting into," Hussey said.

Students post ratings on the teacher's easiness, helpfulness, popularity, clarity of teaching and overall quality. But the comments don't always prove very useful. Typical remarks are "He is a good teacher and is dedicated to the band but he gets mad easily" and "She is one of the best teachers I have had. She is so helpful and loves her students and loves her job. It shows every day. I will miss her when I graduate."

But with more than a few "this teacher is great" ratings, parents can easily see that a particular teacher is doing a good job in the classroom, Hussey said.

Some school administrators even check the site routinely and pass along encouraging comments to staff, he said.

Dr. Mike Cowan, principal at Central High School, said he hasn't seen the sites but has heard about them. He's not sure the comments would represent an accurate opinion from the entire student body. And anyone who visited the site would have to account for the kind of comments and quality of them, he added.

"You know that at least one student is going home mad every day because you have to say no at least once a day," he said.

But Cowan thinks student surveys can be helpful for educators. When he taught at Clayton High School, teachers were routinely evaluated by students using a set of specific questions that covered topics like fairness, grading and interaction.

Hussey said the site rewards teachers who are doing a good job in their classrooms. "We know they are making changes based on what they read. It's a different way of looking at accountability."

College-level students tend to be more pointed in their comments at ratemyprofessors.com. Students at Southeast rated teachers from biology to mathematics with comments like: "This is a hard class with a lot of work involved. You have to do weekly journals and read stories on top of other work" and postings that tell students "This class is challenging, but not impossible. He spells out exactly what needs to be done and if you follow his directions precisely you will be fine. Most students do poorly because they do not come to class and chose not to follow his directions."

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126