More News

"Our recent computer abuse" is how Principal Joan Benz of Winston Churchill High School has been disarmingly discussing the grade theft that was recently discovered. Churchill may have a computer security issue to patch, and a code of student conduct to update and adopt, but it must address the red flag most visible from the grade theft scandal: the climate of silence and the resulting lack of trust between students, faculty, and the principal. The climate of silence exists at all levels.

Since the scene of the crime already has chalk outlines around the students involved, the finger pointing and problem identification has begun there. Yet, the most obvious question is why no student — perhaps someone who declined the offer to have their grades changed, or a friend who had heard about it — breathed a word of the scheme to a teacher or administrator? Yes, this means that there is a climate of silence among students, but it is a climate that absorbs what people know and say to one another into the atmosphere of student life. In that sense, schools are no different than other groups in society. There is both a mosaic effect — only the ring of perpetrators see the whole picture — and a value placed on keeping quiet. In police departments this is called the blue wall of silence. In schools, no one wants to be a snitch or tattletale. The social penalties are more top-of-mind than social responsibility.

Media interviews of Churchill students placed blame on the intense pressure felt to get good grades. Listening to these students allows us to learn from the common sense philosophy that "what people think is going on often has a lot to do with what really is going on." In this case, it is both a cry for help, and suggests how mixed up the educational priorities of the school board and Churchill have become.

The dominant climate of silence at Churchill was borne of policies, high expectations, compliance, a performance-based school system and the ways that the principal has used her persona and power. Of the two forms of silence, the one imposed from the top, the one that prefers sunny talk of blue ribbon awards, AP course loads, and merit scholars — and hence discourages awareness and assistance to students who still need to learn how to do their best — is the more pernicious.

The school board and Churchill need to reverse the climate of silence from top to bottom. Everything should be on the table, including hiring new administrators and teachers who have the competency, experience, and persona to be credible. A new performance standard would require the county and Churchill to become known not just for high grades and rankings, but for being in the corner of every student — and demonstrating how students and teachers can be engaged and improve their education. That would render any future offers of grades for pay an insult.

It would be a far, far better thing than the school board and Churchill have done before.

Steven L. Katz, Potomac