Controversial Website Lets Students Rate Teachers

An online website, RateMyTeachers.com, has fueled quite a bit of controversy since its creation in 2001--even in countries outside of America, such as the UK. This site allows students and parents to rate teachers on several areas and leave comments. There are two sides to the controversy: those who want the site shut down and those who believe that it could provide valuable feedback about the performance of teachers.

At RMT, people can search for their school and see a list of teachers that have been rated. Comments are visible, along with previous ratings. If someone is missing the user can add the teacher to the list. Then the user can rate that teacher on these categories: easiness of class, helpfulness of the teacher, the teacher's clarity and popularity, and whether or not the teacher is cool.

There are guidelines about the comments that can be left; they may not contain insults, threats, things of a sexual nature, or anything hinting at the identity of the rater. The comments must be approved by a moderator before becoming visible, but comments that violate the rules still get through. Some students leave constructive criticism, and others praise or criticize the teacher (often harshly). Teachers can respond to the individual ratings and comments, defending themselves or even just saying thank you if they desire.

Teachers, parents, even entire school districts are pushing to get the site shut down. Some claim that too much information about teachers is visible on the sites, but only the teachers names, schools, and subjects are listed. Student can find that information on their report cards or schools' homepages. Others feel that its morally wrong to rate the performance of people who dedicate so much time to children without adequate monetary compensation. The most common reason, though, is that these anonymous comments are often of a cruel, insulting, even accusatory nature and may damage the teachers' reputations.

Those in favor of the website believe that its important for students to have an outlet for their feelings about school and teachers. A professor of contemporary culture feels that rating sites are a sign of a "healthy democratic impulse." Others think it's an issue of free speech and don't believe it's fair to restrict freedom of speech based on a person's age or the unpopularity of their opinion. Obviously, some speech such as slander or threats violate law, but there's no call for censoring someone who is not violating such laws.

Michael Hussey, the site's creator, believes it helps reveal whether or not teachers are connecting with their students. Single comments aren't very useful, since teachers themselves could be posting to boost their own ratings. Several comments of the same nature reveal far more. This insight from students as to what teachers do well and where they could improve is positive overall. Teachers can use that knowledge to their advantage to better their methods, and many have done just that.

A "Wall of Shame" is included on RMT, showing a list of schools that have banned access to RMT from their computers. Students and parents are encouraged to inform the website of other schools that do not allow students to visit the website. Obviously, banning the sites from school computers isn't keeping students from signing on to the site, or this list wouldn't exist. Students can still access RMT from home, friends' homes, or public libraries. There have been attempts to get the site shut down altogether, but they have been unsuccessful.

One of the reasons that inappropriate comments get approved may be that students can become moderators for their school by writing an essay. This is an oppertunity to learn about responsibility, freedom of speech, courtesy, etc. However, it may be that these student-moderators aren't being monitored enough. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the site needs to monitor comments more closely. Instead of banning or attempting to shut down the site, why don't the naysayers encourage such site changes as stricer rule enforcement? (Or perhaps parents could just supervise their children's internet access more closely?) There seems to be plenty room for compromise, which can be taught well through example.

The site also includes a "Hall of Fame" with a list of the highest-rated schools, section showing the most-rated schools, and a long page of user comments sent in--both positive and negative. There are other useful features, like an advice column for parents and students. There's even a public forum where students can even seek homework help. The student-moderation program serves as a learning experience, and it gets students thinking and writing. It's not all about rating. There are, after all, several teachers who help run the website!

Whether you support RMT or not, it seems it's here to stay--at least for now. Students, parents, and even teachers are participating on this site, and nearly every school in the country is represented on RMT. Why not encourage your kids to leave some constructive feedback for their teachers? You can look over their shoulders if you want to keep them from writing anything rude. I took I took a few minutes to read what students were saying about my own former teachers, respond to some comments with which I disagreed, and leave some feedback of my own. Why don't you do the same? If you see your favorite teacher being bashed, leave some kind words as a thank you for their selfless dedication to education.