The ring of the bell, the handout of the tests, the ensuing days anxiously waiting for the results to return anticipating a few marks off. Without a second thought, all teachers assign tests to show what the class has learned about the material covered in class…but what if the material isn’t fully covered? Tests can come in a variety of different styles depending on the teacher. Some tests may be over an entire unit or consist of a partial unit that covers enough material to create a test. Teachers expect students to prepare for tests and learn any material not fully mastered outside of class, but sometimes teachers may be setting unrealistic standards. Going through a unit in class should include a thorough teaching of the material with practice and relation to other aspects of the class. Reasonably, not having practiced in almost all (if not all) parts of the unit, it is difficult to fully understand the material without doing extra research. If a teacher refuses to put forth effort and teach their students the material, they should be held accountable for poor test scores.

Teachers should be held accountable for poor test scores because it is their job to teach the material thoroughly. Without a doubt, teachers’ sole purpose is to help their students achieve the most, and if they cannot, they shouldn’t be punishing a student for poor scores. Many teachers may take pride in their job, but some may not have this enthusiasm. Therefore, if a teacher isn’t putting forth the effort, they should take on another career because the type of teacher mainly determines what level of knowledge a student will take in. Many students may enjoy the material, but without an exemplary teacher, learning may not be as enjoyable. This shows that a poor test score isn’t always the student’s fault because the teacher may not be bringing the full potential out of their students. If teachers were passionate about teaching and helping their students, all students would have little to no trouble succeeding. Making learning an enjoyable experience while also being effective is (or should be) the primary goal of every teacher. 

Another reason why teachers should be held accountable for poor test scores is because corrupt or unfair teachers could be maintaining a job they shouldn’t have. Most teachers genuinely want the best for their students, but there are a select few who couldn’t care less about the future of their students. In situations with these teachers, most students may have a grueling time trying to pass the class, and if teachers were held accountable for poor test scores, these corrupt teachers would be found and fired. This will also be a reminder to all teachers that they should always be putting forth their best effort because they are teaching the next generation, and it is important to educate them. Furthermore, this will improve the school overall because parents will know that the teachers are providing sufficient education to the students. If parents know that the school is hiring people they know will give their children a successful future, they will be more likely to pass school levies and give more to the school. Overall, schools need a strong system with reliable staff, and this implication will do just that.

Some may argue that teachers shouldn’t be held accountable for poor test scores because the students are not putting forth enough effort. Many may agree with this because some students will refuse to give up. There are a few students in which school is their last priority, and schools have no way to help these people. Although this may be true, teaching should make the student want to learn. If all students were excited to learn on a frigid Monday morning in the middle of December, teaching would be much easier, but this isn’t the case. As said before, the goal of a teacher is to bring the most out of a student while making them enjoy the class. Most students are willing to put forth effort if the teacher does the same. In conclusion, teachers should be held accountable for poor test scores, but there may be some situations where the fault lies on the other end.