that vision thang

Students who fail an academic subject or conduct in a class for the third quarter are not allowed to attend the prom. I remind them of this on the first day of the report period, have them write it out and sign it, and verbally remind them pretty much once a week. I give out printouts from my grading program two times a quarter in addition to report cards and progress reports that are required, so that students (and parents, who have to sign and return the sheets) know where they stand. I even let students redo failing projects for a minimal passing grade (60) to help their average.

I also I offer extra credit like water- come after school and clean my room, sweep, grade stuff, hand out books, etc., etc. I also offer one point for each board marker, bottle of hand sanitizer, or box of tissues a student chooses to bring in, up to five or ten points.  Completely voluntary. Extra credit points go onto assignments, not onto the class average. I also regularly tell the students that extra credit will not make an F into a passing grade; extra credit is really for those who are doing okay who want to turn a C into a B or a B into an A.

A parent went to the principal today and accused me of extortion for my supplies for extra credit "scheme."

Why? Because her daughter spent twenty dollars on supplies and still failed me. Let's start with the fact that apparently, the "extortion" would have been okay, as long as her daughter benefited (passed.)

Okay, NOW we can discuss the fact that the child has failed before, other quarters, but I've never heard from her parent. But, as she told the principal, The Girl can't attend the prom because of me. (Yup. I made the girl unable to follow directions on two major projects as well as the re-do, fail to study for the three tests, forget when to turn in homework and class work assignments, and talk constantly during class.)

The Girl who failed me-- one of three in her class, by the way, one of whom has only been in for two days in the quarter-- brought in ten boxes of tissues and ten very small bottles of hand sanitizer. I told her the limit before she did it, but she brought it in anyway. I told her that I would give her the points, as she already had purchased the items. I made no guarantee AT ANY POINT that The Girl would pass my class as a result.

The parent had already signed a grade report that showed the girl's average was a 39. (Passing is a 60.) Even if I added the extra credit to her average, against my general practice, she STILL would have failed. I'm sorry that The Mother's math skills are as poor as The Girl's- but I resent the accusation even being put in those terms, much less brought to the principal instead of to me.

So I had to go over my records and explain everything verbally to the principal today after school, and spend an hour between tonight and tomorrow printing out records, writing up an explanation of it all, and copying it/putting it together for the principal to call the parent back tomorrow. And even though I'm in the right, clearly, and the principal agrees once it was gone over, that's a slur against my name that registered for at least a moment with the principal, and anyone in the lobby who overheard the comment The Mother made.

I am pissed. And aggravated. I bend over backwards to help these kids pass doing much more than I have to and using up my free time to do it. And there's never a thanks, not really, from the ones who benefit the most from my work. The appreciative ones are the ones who understand why I do it-- and don't need the extra help. Days like today make me want to be the evil bitch I used to be, never letting kids know they were failing until they got the report card, not letting them see my grade book, never letting them do extra credit (which I was morally against, until the math was explained to me to show that extra credit doesn't help the slugs).

SIGH.

Let me go waste my time with this stupid paperwork, instead of grading or lesson planning or doing something fun like playing with my kids or talking to my husband.

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Music: SCHOOL'S OUT BY ALICE COOPER