NV Good Apples and Rockin Raiders

What do you think about Nemaha Valley's Good Apples and Rockin Raiders program?
Is it just a popularity contest?

Does anyone know what the stipulations are to get chosen to be a Good Apple? If the answer is no, then obviously it is about who the teachers "like" best! How do you think that makes a child feel that doesn't get chosen? What is even sadder to assume is that there is not even one educator at that school that doesn't think this might do more harm to LOTS of kids then the little 15 minutes of fame it does for a FEW kids?????? THESE are EDUCATORS??????? It is scary to think that the majority of educators out there have a BIG lack of empathy! Let me guess the same kids get picked every year. Right? And let me guess, most of those kids are your "A" students, right? The kids they pick are the ones that make their life easier. The kids that get picked are the kids that they can give a worksheet to and not have to do much else to teach them how to read or write or anything else. I think it's pretty clear that yes it is a popularity contest. Shame on you Nemaha Valley!

I totally agree with you Favorites!
I have a kids that go to NV and they have NEVER been chosen.
They are good average kids and every month their self esteem goes down, even just by a little bit, when they are not picked. Sad.

I think the program would go away if we turned the tide and gave the awards to the teachers. Hmmmmm...who would be the first Good Apple???? And how would all those bad apples feel???? Guess maybe you should try it and find out!

The teachers do have a "Teacher of the Year" award, so if you really feel like we need to have a contest amongst the teachers, then open your eyes! WE DO! It's just a nice way to highlight those teachers that do a good job in the district--nominated by other teachers. The Rockin' Raiders and Good Apples aren't picked based on grades, nor are they picked on "who makes life easier." They are picked based on who shows respect, responsibility, and compassion for others. So if you think it's a popularity contest, get real!

ok the difference of the Teacher of the Year award and the Good Apples is that first of all the teacher of the year is, as you point out Really, nominated by other teachers not by students. I think Just A Parent had a great idea! Let's have students nominate teachers "based on who shows respect, responsibility, and compassion for others". And if the Teacher of the year is just a nice way to highlight those teacher that do a good job in the district once a year- then it's not the same as every month in a class of 12 - 25 picking one student and totally showing no compassion for the others year after year.

Really, please tell us where it is stated that the basis for the Good Apples and Rockin Raiders is who shows respect, responsibility, and compassion for others.

And if in fact that is a true statement, then NVEMS has a bigger problem then this if only the same 9 kids in every grade show respect, responsibility, and compassion year after year. Which would mean the staff isn't doing their job, right?

And assuming your an NVEMS teacher Really, then please tell us all where YOUR compassion for Sad's kids and all the other kids that never get picked? I mean because it sounds like your saying Sad's kids and others are just rotten kids that never show compassion, responsibility, and respect. Because the reason Sad's kids aren't getting chosen has to be Sad's fault right, not the NV staff, right?

Really, is this making NV education better, to choose these same hand picked students every month? I mean can NV teachers not find something good about every student?

Please Please Please write back and try to explain this to me Really. Please try to defend this and show me where I have this all wrong so I can get real!