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I really hope that teachers just stop giving grades. They're meaningless anyway. Stop grading, stop reviewing, stop commenting. Let's see if that works.
In most schools when a student has an excused absence teachers are obligated to allow students to make up the work.
The school district I teach allows for a maximum 5 day make up period for any assignment a student missed as a result of an excused absence. So if Billy was out of school Monday for an excused absence he then has until the following Monday to get the missed assignment in. After that time period has elapsed the assignment then becomes a "Zero" in the grade book. Pretty fair IMO and parents / students are made aware of this every new school year.
It would be pretty dumb on this school's district's part to not have such a policy in play prior to this. If they didn't I'm willing to bet they will now.
I'm not. Why you ask? Because the school chose to only change the grade to a B. That tells me there's more to this story. The school is supporting the teacher's decision. Admins usually roll for parents unless there's reason not to. They roll really fast if there is a policy violation.
I have had this situation come up where I teach. I've had kids show up on the agreed upon make up day only to find the absence was still listed as unexcused and we don't allow make ups if absences are unexcused. I've also had students get an old absence excused so they can do a make up much, much later. I've said no to that too. There comes a point where I'm not dragging the chemicals out again. I sholdn't have to in cases like that.
I'm thinking there is more to this than we're being told. Schools rarely side with the teacher if the teacher was wrong. We're the first ones they give up in a fight.
I'd be curious as to what the school district's make up policies are for excused absences. Nothing was mentioned in the article to indicate what that policy was / is or if it even exists so like you said i'm guessing there's more to this than meets the eye.
As presented, I can understand the frustration for this student and his parents. Yes, it CAN be that important and it CAN make a difference as far as college acceptance goes. It sucks, but that is a cold hard fact when it comes to the Ivy's and other universities that turn down way more qualified students than they accept. LIKE IT OR NOT. You may mock the idea that a "B" can ruin someones life but regardless of what you, I, or anyone else thinks this is probably what drives this particular student...the grades. It's possible this teacher was using that as a way to lash out and feel some power.
I compare it to a marathon runner who is marking the best time in his life and then someone purposely places something in their path to slow them down the final mile. No big deal, it's just a stupid race...to everyone but the runner who has been training their whole life for it.
I'm not saying this is what happened, I really don't know from just one story, but I can sympathize. My own underacheivers had to grub for grades a couple times because teachers "forgot" to factor in a paper or assignment. It's rediculous what tiny little things can make the difference between graduating and getting into college vs failing that one required class that sends you (and maybe your life) off in a different direction. It's always the little things.
Just going off of the article, but in my honest opinion, both parties are being incredibly dumb. The family is suing for "physical and emotional suffering" over a bad grade? Seriously? What sort of physical suffering did this C+ cause him? Seizures from nonstop crying? Why are they suing for money and an A+? Who is to say that he would have gotten an A+ in that class? Is he 100% sure he would have passed the lab? (granted, it seems like he was very competent in that subject beforehand). Why not simply sue for a chance to retake the lab or recalculate his grade so the lab isn't factored in? Ugh, I went to school with people like these and it's ridiculous how petty and competitive these arguments are. People will go to great lengths to bend rules to make sure their student eek it out to the top to become valedictorian.
Having said all that, I can't help but feel that the school was absolutely in the wrong here. HOW can a single missed lab, one that doesn't seem to have been a final lab, cause such a jump down from an A+ to a C? What sort of grading scale is this? I took AP biology in high school and I don't think that all of our labs combined counted for much more than 45% of our final grade (IIRC, it was 40% labs, 40% for two tests, and 20% for attendance and participation on non-lab days, give or take). I can understand how a few points can screw with your GPA, especially once you get to the college level where a few points can cost you thousands in merit scholarship funds.
In what class is a court date not considered an excused absence? I'm guessing that with an adoption hearing, all members of the immediate family must be present. I think most schools require a note stating that you'll be taking an excused absence, so hopefully he has something in writing, but even if he didn't, there should be obvious proof that he was in court that day. He informed her ahead of time so it wasn't as if he just didn't show up and tried toget it excused after the fact. Why the teacher and the school didn't allow him to retake the lab is strange. Add on the fact that the teacher has since left the school (fired?) and things aren't adding up. Incompetent teacher maybe? Sadly, I wouldn't put it pass a teacher to give a student a lower grade just out of spite and maybe this teacher had a militant approach to attendance and severely punished him for missing a lab.
I think that the school was stupid to let this get to this level. Again, why not just let him retake the lab or not calculate it into his final grade? Why this needless, stubborn refusal to let him make it up considering that he had a legitimate reason for missing lab that day? As much as I disagree w/ the family's lawsuit, I can't side with the school on this and hopefully this suit will force them to more closely examine the grading policies of their teachers. There are some overzealous helicopter parents, but there are also come ridiculously unprofessional and incompetent teachers out there as well. The evidence presented in that article leads me to suspect the latter more than the former.
I really hope that teachers just stop giving grades. They're meaningless anyway. Stop grading, stop reviewing, stop commenting. Let's see if that works.
THAT would not work. Grades are the only power the teacher holds. If there are no grades, there will be no incentive for 90% of our students to do anything. I think the top 10% who value education will stilll want to learn but I think you'll see dismal results on state tests if you tried this. The threat of failure does work on some kids. Good grades entice others. What motivation do you think kids will have if they aren't graded?
I do agree, to a large extent, that grades are meaningless but they are a carrot or whip for some kids. Most kids, at least, don't want to fail. Take the threat of failure away and you'd demotivate many of them.
I would have no issue with no grades IF we went to exit exams that students had to pass to pass the class.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 07-28-2012 at 06:09 AM..
I'd be curious as to what the school district's make up policies are for excused absences. Nothing was mentioned in the article to indicate what that policy was / is or if it even exists so like you said i'm guessing there's more to this than meets the eye.
That's my guess too. I have turned kids away on a scheduled make up day because when I checked the attendance record, the absence in question was still unexcused. I've also had parents go back later and excuse the absence. I don't think that that should impact me though so I don't schedule another make up day. Absences should be excused the day of the absence or very shortly therafter NOT after mom and dad realize it is impacting the child's grade. I've had kids skip class and then mom excuses the absence so they can make up the work. All it takes is a parent calling in to excuse an absence.
Another issue I've dealt with is a student showing up weeks after a lab was done, graded and handed back wanting to make up a lab from an excused absence. My policy is you get two make up days after the lab (I pick the make up days and there's a sign up list in my room). After that, it's too late to make up the lab. I'm not going to grade a lab after a student has had the chance to see and copy a friend's work who got good grade on it. I, usually, offer a make up assignment that is hard enough that you'd really have to want that grade to do it at that point if I offer anything at all (really depends on how late it is).
Given that neither the pricipal or the school board rolled over on this one, I'm sure there is more to this than we're being told and that the principal and school board think the teacher was right. IME principals and school boards roll over fast on things like this if there's any merit to them at all. The fact they didn't tells me there is more to this than we've been told. I just don't think the school board would let this go to the level of a lawsuit unless they supported the teacher's decision...Especially since the teacher no longer works for the school.
The school district I teach allows for a maximum 5 day make up period for any assignment a student missed as a result of an excused absence. So if Billy was out of school Monday for an excused absence he then has until the following Monday to get the missed assignment in. After that time period has elapsed the assignment then becomes a "Zero" in the grade book. Pretty fair IMO and parents / students are made aware of this every new school year.
It would be pretty dumb on this school's district's part to not have such a policy in play prior to this. If they didn't I'm willing to bet they will now.
Shame on the school in this case.
We had a similar rule when I was teaching. As others have stated, there must be something else to the story. I find it difficult to believe that the school just didn't let him make up the lab. I don't know any teacher who would have let the situation escalate to this point without trying to allow the student to make up the work.
In general schools do have to allow students to make up work missed during an excused absence. The school is allowed to limit the time period for a make up. I wonder what the real story is here.
All it takes is a parent calling in to excuse an absence.
Wow, that's not the case here. We have had parents hounded for doctor's notes when children were ill.
Aside from that this young man was in court for his sister's adoption according to the article. That would certainly be an excused absence.
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