I just saw the end of my first grading period at my new school. As I was preparing to finalize my students’ grades, I was pulled aside by my department head and informed that there were a couple of things that I needed to be made aware of, if I wanted to avoid having “that conversation” with my administrators. 

The rules for student grades are:
1 No student who is an ESOL student (meaning that they do not speak English as their primary language) can receive less than a C in any class they are taking.
2 No more than 15% of your students can receive less than a C.
Doing so means that you will be called into the principal’s office, and will be told that you need to do more to improve your student’s performance. Even if your students don’t turn in any work, even if they are absent the entire grading period, if more than 15% of them have less than a C, it is YOUR fault as the teacher, and if it continues, you will lose your job.
The teacher across the hall from me refused to adjust the grades that her students earned. She was just told that her contract is not being renewed next year.
Me? Of my 132 students, 30 of them have been absent for at least 22 of the 45 days of the grading period. One student was absent for 29 of them, and at least 15 minutes tardy on 9 other days. Still, if I refuse, I will be fired and replaced with someone who will comply.
I adjusted, folded, spindled, and added points. 88% of my students got a C or higher. I’m hanging in there, but I feel like I have sold out. 
The education system is irretrievably broken. 
Categories: Uncategorized

6 Comments

chipmunk · April 7, 2017 at 5:37 pm

That just sucks. Such a system is not doing the students any favors, and is really abusing and encouraging abuse of the teachers.

Anonymous · April 8, 2017 at 7:53 am

The education system is successfully doing exactly what it was designed to do.

http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html

Anonymous · April 9, 2017 at 12:01 pm

You did sell out. You failed your country your community and your fellow man. You ARE the problem. Not the solution. If all of the teaching staff had the personal integrity that you so obviously lack and simply QUIT as a group this neo communist bullshit would end. But you are a worthless "educator" and a failed human. People like you who lack the morals or integrity to stand up and say "NO" to evil are why the system is broken. But comfort yourself that you are a "good German" and will always be qualified as a death camp guard. I hope the 30 silver you took was worth it.–Ray

Anonymous · April 10, 2017 at 12:30 am

When I was in High School (1958) my biology class was mostly the kids who were all destined to be something. Honor roll students and from the right families. But their interests and skills were in the soft subjects while I read science and biology books for entertainment. The teacher was a kind old (I'm guessing 70) guy who knew he couldn't be the one teacher to give an honor student from a good family a C or even an F. So on tests days he couldn't stand being in the room and watching all these honor students cheating openly and would leave the room until the test was over. I often wondered how that felt to him. He was a biologist all his life, volunteered at Woods Hole every Summer and here in his twilight years was forced to kiss the asses of spoiled kids who learned nothing in his class.

Divemedic · April 10, 2017 at 11:31 am

Ray-
If you followed my blog, you would know that I already did that. Twice in the past three years. The first school, I was fired because I wouldn't change the grade of a rich man's daughter from a C to an A.
At my second school saw me get physically attacked by a student for enforcing the rules. I wound up leaving that school.
Now a little older and wiser at my third school: Yeah, I am selling out. You know why? Because nothing changed at the other schools, despite my sacrifice.

So you can go fuck yourself. If you want things to change, why aren't you voting to change the system, instead of demanding that others make sacrifices when you can't seem to do more than get on the internet and bitch.

Anonymous · April 10, 2017 at 4:41 pm

Perhaps you could find 30 like-minded parents, and start your own school.

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