Imaginary Conversations and Random Thoughts

Part one. Part Two.

When a semester ends, students get five credits for each class in which they've gotten a D or better. What do you do when the kids haven't had a steady teacher for the whole semester? That's what administrators are for. Then you hear stories a few weeks later that everyone passed with a C. Nevermind that many of them, perhaps even most of them, deserved to fail. For a few of them, this will be the only grade they get in high school that isn't an F. For some unfortunates, the C will be a drag on an otherwise high GPA.

Five weeks into the spring semester the white flag is raised. We're giving up on the new teacher. We could put the kids back in the classes from which they were drawn. However, that would be a major reworking of schedules. I'll cut through the details, but two teachers gave up two classes each, and will be taking these abandoned classes as whole units. Goodbye, old 3rd period; hello, fresh class of kids who've solidified and bonded as a single class with little or no supervision for twenty-three weeks. I feel sorry for those teachers. The responsible thing to do would be to send these kids back to their original English classes and break up these unhealthy groups. We were advised that these kids need to do work and all; we can't just let them slide all year. Still, we also need to remember when dealing with these students that there's really no way to know what they have and haven't done, so we need to be patient and understanding about it.

Good to know. So if we have no idea of what they have or haven't done, how did they all get those passing grades and one semester of credit on their transcripts.

Should they get credits, or not? What do you think?

P.S.- After a few "incidents," our new policy is that girls are not allowed to go to the bathroom alone. A few boys have asked the question I'm sure you're all thinking: Why do we (the boys) have to go alone? What am I supposed to tell them? Either the district is sexist, or they don't care if boys are assaulted. I go with the second choice, because how could a fine liberal institution like this be sexist?

P.P.S.- And did I mention that at lunch, students are no longer allowed to gather in groups of more than three? It creates an intimidating, gang-like, environment.