Imagine you're a teacher and you have to grade a project that you had no part in creating. Some schools are considering allowing students to design their own summer assignments. This would be counter-productive because, if students were allowed to design their own summer projects they would make the projects entirely too easy. When teachers design the summer assignment they can make sure that it follows the curriculum. It is also easier for teachers to grade assignments that they designed.

Some people believe that, allowing students to create their own assignments would increase the number of students who complete summer assignments. However, many students would create a project that would not teach them anything, and be a waste of time. More students would turn in assignments at the beginning of the school year, but the quality of many assignments would be very poor. What would happen is, students would spend all summer playing games and enjoying their break, and then the last couple days of break would be to throw together a project without putting any thought into it.

Secondly, when teachers design projects they can be sure that it follows the curriculum and provides a smooth transition from one school year to the next. If students were to design their summer assignments, without knowing the curriculum of the coming school year, the assignments would have little to no relevance to the course. This could confuse students when the subject matter of the course is completely different from the summer assignment. It is important for the summer assignments to be designed by the teachers, to ensure that they actually apply to the class that they are assigned by.

Lastly, it is easier for teachers to grade projects that they created. The beginning of the school year is a busy, and stressful, time for everyone. Teachers do not need the extra stress of having to grade dozens of projects that are all designed differently. It is much easier for teachers to grade the dozens of projects when all of the projects follow the same basic guidelines. When projects are designed by the teachers who will grade them it greatly reduces the stress on the teachers in the, already hectic, beginning of the school year.

In conclusion, summer assignments should be designed by teachers, so that they can be sure that the assignments are an appropriate difficulty, relevant to the coursework, and have the same structure. I encourage you to speak with, call, or email members of your local school board to prevent this proposed change. For the good of the students, as well as teachers.