It was eye-opening to read recently that public schools down in Dade County, Ga., are part of a pilot program that will have students filling out surveys about how effective their teachers are.
Pupils as young as kindergartners will be evaluating their teachers — though the state might eventually restrict the surveys to older students if the information provided by younger pupils seems incomplete or inaccurate.
Among the things students will be asked to gauge is whether their teachers are adequately prepared for class.
Of course, most students naturally form opinions, good or bad, of their teachers. But it would seem to be a risky proposal to have the views of people who have not yet reached adulthood or perhaps even adolescence forming any significant part of how teachers in Georgia or anywhere else are evaluated.
Even at the college level, professor evaluations by students can easily turn into popularity contests. Professors who grade more easily or who are perceived as more “fun” in class can receive glowing student evaluations, while tougher — but well-qualified — professors can get unjustifiably low marks.