The Galloway Way: Blind Trust or Vigilance?
The “Galloway Way:” a phrase used commonly within the Galloway community that encompasses the beliefs and ideals of our late founder, Elliott Galloway, who believed the value in education came from the actual learning process and not the grade itself. With a philosophy that stresses the importance of the learning process, Galloway teachers have struggled to decide how academic dishonesty should be discussed when instances arise. In the last few months, Galloway teachers and faculty have met on several occasions to discuss a growing concern of academic dishonesty among the Upper Learning student body. There has been a striking increase in the number of students reporting violations of academic honesty, and teachers have taken notice. Why do students feel pressure to make a certain grade, to cheat to make a certain grade? Where does cheating fall in Galloway’s commitment to “play the game of learning, not the game of school?” Now the challenge for Galloway teachers is how they can preserve the academic integrity and legitimacy of the school while upholding the values of Elliott Galloway.
The solutions to minimize cheating seem obvious, but let’s explore the outlook of a few. If Galloway teachers were to become more strict on the way they administer tests — for example, by taking up phones, closely monitoring each student, adding proctors, and banning the use of computers — some students and teachers alike would feel it’d fundamentally undercut the Galloway philosophy; however, if this issue continues to percolate, then what’s the alternative?
Galloway’s philosophy is treasured by its teachers, making it difficult for them to impose harsh consequences when confronted with the issue. Many teachers meet cheating with an element of compassion because they recognize the immense pressure students are under to perform. Mr. Diaz-Williamson, who teaches 10th grade World History, has had “restorative conferences” with students he’s caught cheating in the past where all participants discuss why the cheating occurred and how they can move forward. For him, getting caught cheating should be a “learning experience rather than an experience that should impact the rest of your life.”
Similarly Mr. Mathis, former Upper Learning Principal and current Social Studies teacher, believes that there are often circumstances that lead to this behavior such as issues of time management, the pace of the class, and pressure from parents to make excellent grades. Dr. Barksdale, who teaches Upper Learning American History, agrees that some students might feel they have to cheat to make a certain grade, but that the “bad karma” from cheating will eventually catch up with the students. Cheating both robs the student of intellectual growth and compromises the student’s morality. In the words of Mr. McCandless, 10th grade Chemistry teacher, “the wages of sin are the sin itself.”
By the same token, Mr. McCandless admits, “I have been known to walk out of the room when students are taking a test, but I think that speaks to the underlying sense that we have a generally trusting student body.” While that may be the case, this generalization does not reflect the behaviors of students who take advantage of this attitude, and as a result, imposing consequences on cheaters becomes difficult for teachers when they aren’t there to witness the cheating. Together the actions of students and teachers are feeding this dilemma, perpetuating the act of cheating in the community.
A few students in various grades reflected on the issue of cheating in a survey. These students demonstrated polarizing sentiments, either believing that cheating is not a problem here or admitting that it is a problem worth addressing. One student concedes, “the [amount of ] trust between students and teachers definitely makes it more of a problem here.” When asked about possible punishments for students who cheat, some students responded by saying that those students should suffer a significant grade effect and write a formal apology. Other students believe that teachers have a responsibility to offer extra credit opportunities to struggling students and lower the impact of a test or quiz grade on the final grade. Theoretically, students would feel less inclined to cheat if they knew they could make up for a bad grade or if their final grade wasn’t significantly affected. All of these suggestions seem like very “Galloway-esque” approaches; however, when cheating incidents occur, students admit that they are less likely to report them. Students don’t “want to be known as the person that rats other people out or puts friendships on the line.”
Additionally, technology seems to play an increasing role in cheating scandals, especially when teachers are lax about phones and the use of computers during tests. A 10th grade student opens up about a time he took a test in Political Science, and cheating occured due to the misuse of computers during the test: “It was really frustrating to me since I put in the effort to memorize the Preamble, yet everyone else could just look up the answer and get a perfect score.” Misusing technology creates massive amounts of anxiety for students who’ve put in the effort to study and learn the material, since they’re concerned about other students looking up answers and taking shortcuts to achieve an E.
Ultimately, Galloway must decide how to handle the problem. Because cheating is detrimental to the learning process and the learning process is an integral part of Galloway’s philosophy. Both the act itself and the inaction to prevent cheating going forward is harming the foundations of the school. Would implementing harsher punishments and closely monitoring students in order to combat cheating really betray the “Galloway Way” or would it solve the cheating dilemma and alleviate some anxiety of Galloway students?
By Lauren Edwards