Holding Educational Responsibility
Meira Levinson

eachers are responsible for many educational outcomes (such as ensuring that all children are achieving on grade level) that are substantially out of their control. So are students, truth be told; their capacity to complete homework or master material before a test is highly dependent on others’ providing for their basic needs. Even parents can face consistent impediments to fulfilling their educational responsibilities to their children (such as getting them to school on time if they have to be at work instead). So whom should we “hold responsible” for students getting to school and learning, and on what grounds?

Meira Levinson is Chen Family Educational Foundations Professor at Stanford University.