This isn't fair!

As educators we are often confronted with the idea of "fair". We struggle to obtain a sense of objectivity we will never reach, with the premise that removing the human fallibility of a teacher will make marking of assignments honest and justified, and the learning for all students equal. It's ironic that our desire for doing what's right for kids has driven us so far down this path of self delusion.

Anyone who has marked exams on a mass scale for their employer can share with you first hand stories of just how different two teachers, sitting side by side, freshly trained for using the same rubric, actively engaged in the evaluation process conversation, can score an actual exam. On a six point scale, I have witnessed a section of markers give a graduation exam essay a 4, while their colleagues all scored it a 6. I'll let @TeachAtwal do the math for you on that, but rest assured the entrance into any number of post secondary institutions will be grossly affected by both of those scores. 

Anyone who has selected a team of 15 kids from 60 trying out knows that while experience and strategy help organize and simplify the process, no amount of fretting will guarantee making the "right" choice about who to keep.

Clear cut evidence of our subjectivity and unique perception of reality surrounds us each school day and yet we stand behind our PLO's, our rubrics, our standardization, our marks books, and our systems, with arms crossed and chin lifted in defiance. What are we so afraid of? Do we value ourselves so little? Have we really lost touch with anything that can't be counted? 

If we want to empower students we need to lead by example, starting with the admission of our own weaknesses and imperfections. There is no "best practice" for all kids, there is no objective robotic way to instruct or evaluate that will create a "fair" playing field for all students. The best any of us can hope to do is just that, our best. Within our own "reality" and our growing skill and knowledge set, in interaction with the complexity that is another human being's reality, set into an ever growing community of learners with both individual and collective needs... all we can do is what we think is best for those involved in that moment. If we remove the human element, we remove the most powerful part of what we do.

quote via @gcouros

P.S. For those who think numbers come before people, regardless if they are customers or employees, I hope you never have to check your child into a hospital run by someone who agrees with you.