Collegiate Times

Associated Press

SUFFOLK ? One teacher makes learning fun. Another is not bad but sometimes boring.

Those comments are some of the thousands found on RateMyTeachers.com, a website that lets middle and high school students log on and grade their teachers.

In Virginia, more than 70,000 students have posted ratings on about 12,000 teachers, and those numbers grow daily.

Students rate teachers on several factors: helpfulness, clarity, easiness and popularity.

?He?s the BEST there is, but I?m not kidding when I say to listen and take notes,? one Virginia reviewer wrote of a high school teacher.

?Keep up the good work, you are a swell teacher, and I am so glad to be in your class,? another student wrote of a teacher.

Some local teachers and administrators say they are wary of the site, which lets students post their opinions anonymously.

?This could be one kid with a grudge,? said Richard Crawford, principal of Hardy Elementary School in Isle of Wight.

?If a student is unhappy because of one bad day, he can post comments,? said Martha Nunley, a biology teacher. ?Students play games with the site, posting different comments and telling their friends about it.?

One of the site?s founders, former substitute teacher Michael Hussey, said the idea of the site is to create a forum for students to share opinions and make teachers accountable to their students.

About 50,000 users, including teachers and parents, log on to RateMyTeachers.com each day. Hussey said he often receives e-mails and letters from teachers who thank him.

?That?s basically the goal of the website, to give teachers access to student opinions,? he said. ?The mark of a true professional is someone who questions their approach.?