Hanover HS students article... (best towns, condo, crime)

[Valerie C]

So... is this a school matter or a criminal matter? We'll be discussing this at dinner tonight (one of my kids is taking PSAT's in a few weeks). Opinions?


School cheating scandal divides N.H. town
Criminal charges too harsh, some say
By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff | September 19, 2007

HANOVER, N.H. - Academics is serious business in this well-to-do town, where life revolves around Dartmouth College. Ivy League credentials rank alongside Subaru wagons and restored farmhouses as status symbols, and high school students are expected to excel and land acceptances to prestigious universities.

So, as final exams loomed and pressure built last June at Hanover High School, some students hatched a scheme for acing the tests: One evening after school was out, a group of students entered the school building, authorities say. While some stood sentry in hallways, others entered a classroom and used stolen keys to break into a teacher's filing cabinet and steal exams for advanced math honors, advanced math, Algebra II, and calculus. Five days later, another group stole chemistry finals. In total, some 50 students are suspected of participating in the thefts, either helping to plan them or receiving answers from stolen exams.

Rather than issuing suspensions or grade demotions, school officials notified police. And after a seven-week investigation, the police prosecutor handling the case brought criminal charges against nine students. Last week, the prosecutor notified the nine students' parents that if they chose to take the cases to trial, he could raise misdemeanor charges to felonies, which carry possible prison terms of 3 1/2 to seven years.

Parents of the accused are furious and frantically trying to reduce charges to violations that carry no criminal penalties, penalties they say could harm their children's chances of attending college or securing employment. The scandal has divided the community, with some residents laying blame squarely on the nine accused students - dubbed "the Notorious Nine" - while others have questioned whether the intense competitiveness of 750-student Hanover High forced students into positions of having to cheat.

[Samrai309]

I didn't catch the grade level of these students but if they were seniors, the first thing you take away is the right to walk at graduation ceremonies. Why have them disgrace the entire graduating class. Provided they passed, they can pick up their diplomas at the school privately. If it were up to me, they would be receiving zeros as grades for the final exams, since they are in fact cheaters and then I would prosecute, since breaking and entering or aiding and abetting a crime are in fact against the law, hence criminals caught should be prosecuted. But then again, I am a firm believer in character values such as respect, responsibility, and accountability. Iam also a high school teacher, so maybe I have a unique perspective, but every one is entitled to their opinion.

[Samrai309]

[quote=Valerie C;1533500]
Gersen said that before the cheating scandal revelations, school officials had discovered two screens cut and teachers had reported keys missing for the science and math resource centers. The day before the alleged theft of the chemistry exam, a guidance counselor had witnessed three male students climb through a school window. The boys had told the counselor they were trying to retrieve notebooks to study.

"Hanover High students are very diligent and study very hard for exams. So it seemed a plausible explanation," Gersen said.QUOTE]



What was this administrator born yesterday? I wonder if he is like some (not all) typical administrators who dictate policy and procedure for classrooms yet have not set foot in a classroom in years. Yeah thats the first thing I think of when I see high school teenagers climbing through a school window...diligent hard workers looking to retrieve books to go home and study with. Sounds real plausible to me.

How about asking a teacher or member of the custodial staff to open up the classroom door so they can walk in to retrieve their books?

[GypsySoul22]

I've been following this story in the news. It's terrible kids have to focus on grades (mainly to get into college). So much of 'learning' is spitting facts back to get good grades. Desperation can make you do bad things.

I don't agree with cheating or stealing tests but I have my doubts about this being a criminal case. I thought most schools deal with this 'with in' rather than calling in the police. (unless they are are trying to scare those kids).

[kelleybell00]

This is so sad! One stupid mistake is going to haunt these kids for years, possibly forever. I agree that these kids should definitely face consequences for what they did, but it should be handled through the school. Give them a 0 for the exam, suspension, lose their extra-curricular privileges, etc... I DO NOT believe that these kids should face felony charges and I hope that these parents don't buckle to the prosecutors threats if they don't accept the "deal" they are giving them. Our kids have way too much pressure put on them to test well OR ELSE! I am finishing up my teaching degree down here in FL and we are headed to NH in 3 years when our oldest graduates because I am so sick of all the testing that is required of our students to improve FL education. As a mother of four, I hope that my children are never tempted to cheat. However, these kids didn't break in to vandalize the school. They aren't your typical hoodlums out to cause trouble. They cut two screens that they should definitely pay for, but criminal charges are not the answer. Shame on the principle for not acknowledging this and shame on the GUIDANCE counselor who, of all people, should have been able to recognize behavior from these students that wasn't on the up and up. Do keep us posted on how this turns out.

[nicolem]

I guess I am in the minority here, but I am actually glad that something happened. I don't think these kids should go to jail for 3.5-7 years but some type of punishment. This wasn't a kid looking at another kids paper. This was a group of 50 kids who STOLE KEYS AND BROKE INTO A FILING CABINET. It goes beyond cheating. The last time I checked-breaking and entering warrants calling the police!

The parents are fuming and furious? Are they fuming and furious at their kids or just the fact that their kids got caught? If this was my kid, my outrage would be at my child! It seems to me there is a mentality that a lot of parents have today is that their little angels can do no wrong.

Would these parents not call the police if someone broke into their home office and stole important documnets from their filing cabinets?

Sorry, but getting caught cheating and breaking and entering SHOULD harm their chances of getting into college. How many times have these kids cheated before they actually got caught? Was this really the first time? I would say probably not.

My dad just retired from teaching for 35 years and it is amazing how kids will do things, there are 100 witnesses-even other students see them do something- and it is always the teachers fault. The parents come and their little angel is perfect and has not done anything wrong.

I am not saying that you don't stand by your child, of course you do. But don't act like your kids are the victim here-they are not.

[skinut74]

while i cannot condone these actions, they are understandable considering the pressure put on children to excel. but consider this; if they had succeeded, the resulting grades might have made a difference in who receives scholarship money. i believe that when someone takes money from you illegally it is called stealing. it may have also made a difference in collge admissions. secondly who owns the school? since your taxes pay for the school- you do. i know i would not want someone breaking and entering my property. while leniency should predominate the resulting punishment, there is no way that these kids should skate completely for this incident.

[MimiS]

They broke into the school. It's a police matter.

[airedaly]

We hear complaints all the time that today's parents spoil their children and give them too much. We move to the best towns so they can obtain the best educations so they get into the best colleges. These kids watch TV and movies where the general theme tends to be dishonesty, violence and cheating,

When high school kids break into a school and steal tests so that they can cheat, they should be dealt with very harshly. If these kids get gentle treatment, there will be no reason for the students following them to be honest. Cheating, no matter if it's on a test, on a spouse, in an election, or on the playing field, is WRONG. These kids should be denied college entrance and forced to enter the military as punishment.

[OCCASparky]

Bottom line--it's called "burglary". It's a felony, period. I don't care how much "pressure" these kids were under, it doesn't justify criminal acts.

And if they thought they were under pressure NOW, just wait until they enter the real world.

Anything less than pressing criminal charges against these kids is tacitly condoning future such actions. Where do we draw the line? Are we saying these are the ONLY kids who were under pressure to perform academically?

Great--you cheated and made an "A", or cut a few extra points on your SAT's. However, you failed at integrity, which is an even bigger part of life. Nobody is going to remember (or care) what you did on your tests. You WILL, however, be forever recalled as the "cheater", "liar", or dishonest fool who thought the rules didn't apply to you.

Good luck living that one down.