Teacher Says She Got Fired For Giving Zeroes To Students That Did Not Turn In Their Work, And It Escalated Quickly
Recently, a Florida teacher said she was fired after refusing to give students credit for homework they never turned in, and it reignited the ongoing debate about education in the United States. Social studies teacher Diane Tirado, 52, said the situation disregarded the “No Zero” policy. Her former employer, West Gate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, however, had a different story.
“I was not allowed to give anything lower than a 50,” Tirado told The Post.
For the first assignment of the semester, Tirado asked her students to keep a journal in the same way a 15th-century explorer would. For two weeks, they were required to take down notes about historical events and draw maps in what the teacher referred to as an “explorer’s notebook.”
“I got called down to the principal’s office because parents were not happy with me,” she said. “It was ruining my life for weeks.” According to the teacher of 17-years, it was during one such visit to the principal’s office that she learned about the “No Zero” policy.
After some students in her class didn’t hand the homework in, however, she said she didn’t think they deserved any credit. “I’m used to kids not handing in work… but then chasing them until the report cards are in to make sure they make it up. But I don’t give a grade for nothing.”
Tirado was fired on the 14th of September, less than two months after getting hired at the school. She said that because of her probationary period at the school there wasn’t any official cause mentioned in the letter from the principal. But the teacher said she knew why. “I loudly bucked the system. I refused to do their policy. I guess you would call that defiance.”
Talking to KSAT, a spokesperson of the school said, “Ms. Tirado was released from her duties as an instructor because her performance was deemed sub-standard and her interactions with students, staff, and parents lacked professionalism and created a toxic culture on the school’s campus. During her brief time of employment at West Gate, the school fielded numerous student and parent complaints as well as concerns from colleagues. Based on new information shared with school administrators, an investigation of possible physical abuse is underway.” The spokesperson also added the schools grading policy, claiming that there isn’t a policy prohibiting teachers from giving students a zero for missed assignments.
Here’s the scale published by West Gate. It outlines a 10-point range for each letter grade:
A = 90 to 100
B = 80 to 89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 50-59
A zero is noted on the scale for work not attempted or work that is incomplete.
Tirado, however, said the policy outlined in the West Gate student and parent handbook in bright red capital letters states, “NO ZERO’S – LOWEST POSSIBLE GRADE IS 50%,” according to an image she provided to The Post.
After the story went viral, lots of people (including teachers) were quick to share their opinions. Continue scrolling to read the rest, and tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Social studies teacher Diane Tirado, 52, said she was fired for refusing to follow the “No Zero” policy
Image credits: Diane Tirado
She did not even have the time to say goodbye to her students, so she left this message on a whiteboard instead:
Image credits: Diane Tirado
For the first assignment of the semester, Tirado asked her students to keep a journal in the same way a 15th-century explorer would
After some students in her class didn’t hand the homework in, however, she said she didn’t think they deserved any credit
Her story reignited the ongoing debate about education in the United States
She even went to state her opinion in the news
Image credits: Diane Tirado
After that, many people (including teachers) were quick to respond
What do you think?
If I hadn't been given a 0 during 6th grade, I would still not be doing work, still not be handing things in, and still not listening in class and I would have no hope of becoming a medicine student. I NEEDED a shock to my system to get me working. This is so dumb. What about when they grow up and work in an office, do nothing, but expect credit?
I can answer that. They grow up, go into the workforce, call in sick as often as possible, do the bare minimum then complain when they do not hear "Thank you" for doing their job even though others are picking up their slack. Then they act shocked when their co-workers get fed up and stop picking up the slack and they get canned.
Load More Replies...In my country, if a student does nothing, they get a big 0. End of the story.
Adriana Ryding, let's not forget that they may be from another country or non-English speaking country where the literally meaning and translation of "retardation" is slow or held back (from the Latin "retardare"). In English speaking words, it has become a foul and abhorrent word, and I word that I detest and advise non-native speakers to avoid. However, there are many cultures (including the one I grew up in) where the word "r****d" is not considered bad or insulting. In no way do I hope to defend those who use the word r****d as an insult or slur, as it really is disgusting, and if this is the case in the comment you replied to, I fully support your statement and wording. But I hope we can give the benefit of the doubt to those non-native English speakers who do not know the connotation of the word in English speaking society.
Load More Replies...The most sad part is that there even has to be a discussion about this. Like having a discussion if gras is really green or not... -_- School prepares you for real life, a job. Do you think you can refuse to work for 75% of a year at a company and keep your job? Offcourse exceptions should be accomodated. But that should not change the mainstream rules.
What gets me the most, other than the obvious - getting a passing grade for doing nothing - is the parents. The idea of "hey! The teacher needs to be held responsible for my child failing!" is just idiotic! On another note: I have many friends who are professors in universities, and get the products of these "participation trophy" schools. But the difference is that when the student fails (but I got good grades in high school - even if I rarely showed up and didn't do any of the assignments) there is a serious monetary punishment. There aren't many refunds of college tuition for this kinds of shenanigans. Tough lesson to learn. Schools aren't doing students any favors by letting them "pass."
A "grade" is supposed to be a record of an "assessment" of a student's ability/effort on a lesson plan. It gives the teacher, parent and student feedback for what the student still needs to learn, and helps them develop the next lesson/learning experience. When school admin systems manipulate assessment records, the student suffers because there is no accurate record of how the student is currently doing, thus no clarity on the next steps needed to help her or him adjust and learn.
My daughter-in-law is a teacher. She is totally speechless at the amount of parents who never return her calls, answer her letters, or even come to scheduled Parent-Teacher meetings. That's where most of the problem comes from. Home. Lack of interest on all levels. And the teachers are to blame for poor students. (sarcasm alert) My father made sure my homework was done every night, and made sure all studying and assignments were complete. My husband decided to go into substitute teaching. He quit after one month. Things have changed.
Load More Replies...People need critical feedback in school. Way too many students are passed who can barely write. This isn't just K-12, it even happens in college. I received a resume and cover letter from a candidate with a Master's degree yesterday who could not write a single complete sentence. We're not helping people by telling them that poor quality work or no work is acceptable.
Directors and some teachers agreed I deserved to pass to 1rst grade when I was 6: I didn't wanted to learn a lot of things -my mind was busy in other important childish s**t, OF COURSE- but I was very good at other ones. My Mom and a few teachers were certain I wasn't ready... and they were right. I suffered my entire childhood because I was not mature enough to keep the rhythm of the class. I was always behind, with mediocre grades, feeling totally s****y about myself, working double for lame, shameful grades but not bad enough to repeat a year. It was horrible. Until I hit University, my life at school and as a schoolgirl was miserable. Repeating a grade is NOT a bad thing. Some children needs it. And looking this super fun assignment and the great work other kids did... the ones who didn't totally deserves a big fat zero. I wonder how bad life will treat this irresponsible kids when they start university and/or looking for decent jobs...
If you dont hand in any work you dont get a grade, that's just the way it is, but there should also be a procedure to engage those students in their studies and diagnose why it may be that they weren't capable of handing in the work, was it a general apathy towards that subject or perhaps a situation at home or maybe they have support needs. Firing the teacher doesn't solve anything and is just a s****y way of treating someone who dedicated 17 years to teaching
I really do support the teacher’s opinion on this matter. If you don’t do the work, you don’t get any credit. Currently a college student, I work my butt off in academics to get my degree and scholarships, yet I’ve seen some people who don’t do their work (more often in gen ed classes). All the professors did was just hand them zeros for not doing work, and those students tanked these classes. This idea is merely babying students and pleasing the angry parents. The parents need to realize that their children are accountable, not the teachers. I had a seventh grade science teacher who told us about parents getting angry at him for “failing their kids”, yet it’s actually the kids at fault.
Because we cant wear tank tops because 'we're preparing you for the business world' but you can also not do work and pass because that will prepare for the business world
...I can't tell where the sarcasm lies here, because I can tell you, I work with some folks that do not work and keep their job. :)
Load More Replies...Celebrating mediocrity by hoisting them up. The "I'm getting a participation award" generation will be in for a big surprise when real failure arrives...aka college.
Your system is a joke!! Where I'm from, if you did nothing in school, didn't hand in your assignment or didn't come in class, you'd get a big fat 0! But this is coming from someone who was educated in one of the best school systems in the world...
LOL England doesn't have one of the best systems so no I don't come from England.
Load More Replies...Teaching people to do nothing because they will still get 50% basically encourages them to do nothing. Should I expect to get 50% of my salary if I never actually do anything at work? Absolutely not, I don’t see why students should be treated any different, you have to teach them that. If I hadn’t gotten a 0 on a project a couple of years ago I would still be postponing all of my work to the last minute and I’d barely ever get anything done. Where I went to school we had a special letter grade for kids who did nothing in class/didn’t show up. It was a W, not sure why they chose that specifically but it was essentially worse than an F because it signifies that you did nothing. Maybe 3 people got a W the first year it was implemented and none are getting them anymore. Kids need to be taught that their actions can have serious consequences
This is what you get when you let the government run your schools, people smart enough to push buttons, but not smart enough to ask questions. The deliberate dumbing down of America, read the book !!!
This is the problem with society today. Trying to make everyone equal when we are not. Because of that everyone is supposed to get a passing grade for being lazy or everyone gets a trophy just for showing up?? What a bunch of BS. If you don't earn it, you don't get it, plain and simple.
In life when we don't do anything we get fired or we get reprimanded. Why aren't kids getting the same treatment? We're supposed to mold them to be responsible adults, but how can we do that when we can't even hold them accountable for doing bad in school? This is as bad as participation trophies.
I wonder if what’s needed to be done is to actually hold the parent accountable. Force the parent to deal with negative credit points or pay a fine, if the child was unwilling to do the bare minimum to genuinely deserve a passing grade. Because as some teachers have mentioned, some ‘parents’ don’t even return the call and the parents only call when their child is in detention because they want their older child to look after their younger one. This also might deter lazy, irresponsible, selfish people from even having children to begin with, which is also a good point.
If a parent genuinely did all that he/she can to encourage their child to do the bare minimum, but the child continues to be a lazy snob, then the parent should know that they have an immorally abnormal child with a severe case of entitlement, and so a parent should contact psychologists and ask for the school administration’s help, just to make it clear that the parent isn’t negligible; the parent simply no longer knows what to do with the child’s lazy attitude. If the psychologists found out that the child has some learning disability(dyslexia, etc) , then it’s great to know this sooner than later, provide resources to help the child learn to deal with the disability in a productive way, and problem would be solved (with much effort and time, yes, but no free passing grade is given anymore, this way).
Load More Replies...This participation awards thing again? *shakes head* That's just pathetic. This goes for more than just school grades too, although I suppose that's where it starts - this whole "everyone deserves a trophy just so no one feels left out and we all look great in the end" thing is a bomb on a slow timer, the world made of up of solely people with such mentality cannot possibly exist.
Kudos to that teacher for not giving a 50% grade for NOTHING!! This reeks of pathetic liberal ways to indoctrinate our children instead of TEACHING THEM!!
This goes hand-in-hand with ALL of the "politically correct" nonsense. Don't give them a failing grade!! It will hurt their feelings! Also, NO student should stand out from others! We dont want the kids to think that a couple of students are smarter than them! We want them all to be treated the same as each other! Its TOTAL b******t!
I love that the teacher gave 0's when the students did not do the work. Passing a student along does absolutely nothing for the student. It needs to stop. Forget all of the past hardwork the student has done, the student must continue to work hard in order to pass; if you miss an assignment you get a 0--if you get enough 0's you fail, end of story. The point of school is to educate students. A student that turns in no work is not educated. Teacher's that support the "mandatory lowest grade" rule do nothing to support the students--teachers that support this rule PROVE that they only care about themselves, their reputations, and the school's passing percentage rate. Those teachers MUST be fired. Those people who work in the school district who support the rule MUST be fired from educational positions. Students MUST be held accountable for their choices and their actions. We all run into problems, we all have setbacks, we all have hiccups, but we still much be held accountable.
If I took a test and only got 3 of 10 problems correct, would I get a 30% or 50% on the test? If 50%, why bother trying at all on that test? Most kids want to do better than an F. But for those who don't care, they are still learning...how to take advantage of the system.
It isn't "this generation." Every generation has effed up and lazy people. Heck, there are even people who are just a-holes like you in every generation.
Load More Replies...Do they think when they get to the work force they should be paid for not doing their work?
How can you possibly earn anything by doing nothing!? Is this how we are educating our kids? If you do nothing, you still get a lot of credit! This is b******t, just like participation trophies. Firing her for this is ridiculous... However, if the school fired her because her inability to write properly... I may agree with the school, what TerribLE handwriting!
My classwork was difficult but my grading was easy--if you truly tried to do the work. The students who failed my class had to work hard to fail. But zero work resulted in zero class credit. No one ever faulted me for that. Students wanted to retake classes with me. I could be quite flexible, as in a student who couldn't get to first period on time because she had elementary school siblings to get to school first. I allowed her extra time to turn in assignments, which she did turn it. She ended up with a B and I felt this was sad as her quickness in understanding would have resulted in an A+ if she'd been able to attend all of class regularly. Another ESL student got C- which I also felt bad about because he actually did everything twice, in his native language and in English. However, he refused to have his tests translated or to take extra time for them which he clearly needed as he'd just moved to the US. His ESL teacher accused me of favoritism because he passed. 😑
In China, the great Confucius would not ever teach the ones who make three faults at school.
And this is why America is going down the tubes: giving credit for attendence!!!
How the f**k did things get like this? Here I am thinking about my 9th grade English monster... I failed English. One of the things I failed because of was that she would repeatedly score us, 400 f*****g points, for the condition of a goddamned three-ring binder, acting like all that s**t mattered. “I’m preparing you for college!” Lady, you’re a narcissist who failed to become a college professor, now teaching middle school like it’s the most important thing ever. And now they fire teachers for grading kids APPROPRIATELY???
I failed a class in college one time for no homework turned in, even though I attended every class and aced all the tests. How come I wasn't an "exception"?
The scenario above is appalling and directly leads to a whole bunch of kids who are unable to find work when hey leave school. We already see it in the workplace where people cannot spell, write a legible sentence or problem solve.
This post is still here? The most important information here is the teacher's note to students. This is COMPLETELY inappropriate. This is an issues between and employee and her supervisors. The students should NOT be involved in this half-assed fashion...AT ALL. This shows the immaturity and, perhaps, incompetence, of the teacher. This is shameful...I would have fired her for the note to the students! What, is she 11 years old?
Look, as a teacher, a student who hands something in can get a 50%, why should the student who did the work (albeit horribly) get the same mark as someone who did none at all?
Part of the problem is the old way grading is done. Each level is worth 10 points except F, which is 50 points. One F (kid may be sick or family emergency) can destroy a kids grade. I would rather use the 0-5 point scale where a rubric lists the level of competency a student has at each level. Then the student knows where they need to improve (they may be good at some things, but not others). It provides a clearer picture of student competency. There may be separate rubrics and grades for separate skills. Once you learn to use it, it is not much harder than regular grading, but it is clearer where the students need more instruction, both on a group and on an individual level. Not handing in work is a behavioral issue that is covered in this grading system. When giving grades, the comment codes put in let the parents know specifically where their child needs help. The student also knows and is less likely to give up.
Oh...and putting this back on students in a barely readable note?.....REALLY bad form......REALLY, REALLY bad form. This destroys all credibility. I support teachers....my grandfather was one, my dad was one, I was one...my wife was one...my daughter is one. This situation does not smell right.
Hmmmm, there is probably more history here than has been revealed. I worked in the public sector for decades. You need to find out how to do the good work amidst bad practices. If you do not, you are out. Getting fired might well be taking the easy way out.
in my country even you have done doing task there is still posibility to get below 40 %
When I was going to grade school, they should have failed me due to my homework & performance. Instead they just passed me on. The next year, I didn't understand the things they were trying to teach me & I just gave up cuz I didn't understand & the teachers didn't try to understand why I continued to fail; they had too many kids in their classrooms to bother with 1 child who had problems. The best thing I ever learned in school was to READ! With that I was able to teach myself things. I am not good at math & still have to count on my fingers, but I can build a computer from scratch & I use Linux instead of windows & its cuz I learned to read. As far as my teachers are concerned, I don't hold them responsible. They did what they could, the administration was the one that was at fault for crowding the room & pushing the teachers!
I just don't understand 50% given even if the student turned in nothing. Nothing is 0, amiright? Then that's what you get. If a kid has gotten into high school with that kind of attitude or got there even though they had an unaddressed learning disability, then that's a reflection on our schools and educators. I do not presume to know the answers, I'm just really glad my kids are done.
Wow as a Brit, this story is insane! You should be marked appropriately for the effort and quality of work submitted! Giving a no show student an A or 50% for s**t work is insulting to those who do try and come to lessons. What kind of example is this? I'm appalled! Teachers should inspire and educate their pupils to do better, not pander to them! How does this set up Children for a real world where they will be judged!?
Lets face reality in the business world. If one is not finishing a job to agreed standard, the client can refuse payment until the work is complete. In income terms this does mean "0". In line with school work, no assignment supplied, 0 score. In Germany we had a strict teacher keeping a notebook entering a 0 for each home work not supplied. On 3 x 0s an entry into the class log book followed. The tolerance span then shortened to the next 2 x 0s, eventually resulting in a class log book for every 0 achieved. At the end of year report conferences such notes had to be considered for the student's attitude on work and whether a socialisation problem did exist. It is part of a friendly discipline project. At Scouts in Australia as an Adult Leader I was expected to help and test the Youth on achieving progress in their Badgework. As badges are a visual certificate, I did not treat them like lollies and requested the Scouts to show some effort to keep the expected standard.
Simple: F = 50-59. The idea is to give more probabilities to the student's to pass the class.
I think, that is bull c**p! If you don’t want to be in the classroom, then go to a technical school and learn a trade. Passing your grade, for no work, is so evil and sets the kids up to fail over and over. A boos doesn’t want an employee that can’t do the work, or won’t. So, if you don’t want to be in school, go waste your time somewhere else. Most jobs require at least a HS diploma, but.. if you graduate and don’t even know how to make change? Then you are in deep do do.
This is too depressing. The whole system is depressing. It's extremely important to learn about consequences, to be diligent and respective. Also everyone has different talents. Not every child must be perfect at maths or eloquent... We should try as hard as we can and learn how to provide for ourselves in the future. It's so complicated...
Let's hope these kid can find an employer who is okay with their doing no work.
In Southern California that rule doesn't exist. I don't know what people they have that stupid to have made that rule. What if the student does work and gets below a 50%?
Last year, a girl was really, really hardworking. Not smart, hardworking. She was always the first to raise her hand, took the most notes, and studied like crazy. One day, what a graded assignment to do at home. The girl did it, and scored 49%. A couple of other kids never bothered to even do it. And yet, they all got 50's even though it was totally unfair.
That's why I'm not dying and leaving my world to this bunch of uneducated idiots!
Teachers are the sometimes the first line of defense against a stupid society. They would not be teachers if we could not learn from them.
Once i failed a math test so bad that the teacher had to change the evaluation system to not give me a negative grade, i still ended up with a 0,5/10 score while as a result the rest of the class, every single one of them, got 10/10. Some of them are still gratefull to me XD
If it is possible to get a negative grade on a math test, the evaluation system is wrong. Each answer should make up a percentage of the 100%. So it should not be mathematically possible to get a negative if the test is fair.
Load More Replies...I think a 1 is usually lowest here. Why does teaching always seem so difficult in the US for some reason :') I'm studying to be a highschool teacher, teaching a number of classes now, and kids here always turn in something. If they don't, they get a 1 and you don't want a 1, no kid does (here). An insufficient grade? Sure, you get another assignment, or you try to get a better grade next time. But so far, over the past year, I've NEVER had a student not handing in an assignment at all. But also important: give them the right feedback, try to talk with those kids, instead of JUST giving them a 0. Feedback that's not just aimed at the grade itself, but the learning process of a kid, is so much more important than that grade itself.
Oh, but apparently I live in a country that has the happiest kids in the world. Maybe that's why they're willing to at least TRY to get good enough grades. :P (and there's a lot of differentiation between types of student here. The students that have a higher capacity for learning and thinking certain ways are in different classes (that aims the students to eventually attend applied and/or academic university) than kids that are better in other ways, for instance doing practical work, aimed at attending vocational school after highschool).
Load More Replies...This is just one (of many) reasons I used my teaching degree, not to 'teach', but went into social services. Now, I teach parents & families. For me, a better fit.
If I hadn't been given a 0 during 6th grade, I would still not be doing work, still not be handing things in, and still not listening in class and I would have no hope of becoming a medicine student. I NEEDED a shock to my system to get me working. This is so dumb. What about when they grow up and work in an office, do nothing, but expect credit?
I can answer that. They grow up, go into the workforce, call in sick as often as possible, do the bare minimum then complain when they do not hear "Thank you" for doing their job even though others are picking up their slack. Then they act shocked when their co-workers get fed up and stop picking up the slack and they get canned.
Load More Replies...In my country, if a student does nothing, they get a big 0. End of the story.
Adriana Ryding, let's not forget that they may be from another country or non-English speaking country where the literally meaning and translation of "retardation" is slow or held back (from the Latin "retardare"). In English speaking words, it has become a foul and abhorrent word, and I word that I detest and advise non-native speakers to avoid. However, there are many cultures (including the one I grew up in) where the word "r****d" is not considered bad or insulting. In no way do I hope to defend those who use the word r****d as an insult or slur, as it really is disgusting, and if this is the case in the comment you replied to, I fully support your statement and wording. But I hope we can give the benefit of the doubt to those non-native English speakers who do not know the connotation of the word in English speaking society.
Load More Replies...The most sad part is that there even has to be a discussion about this. Like having a discussion if gras is really green or not... -_- School prepares you for real life, a job. Do you think you can refuse to work for 75% of a year at a company and keep your job? Offcourse exceptions should be accomodated. But that should not change the mainstream rules.
What gets me the most, other than the obvious - getting a passing grade for doing nothing - is the parents. The idea of "hey! The teacher needs to be held responsible for my child failing!" is just idiotic! On another note: I have many friends who are professors in universities, and get the products of these "participation trophy" schools. But the difference is that when the student fails (but I got good grades in high school - even if I rarely showed up and didn't do any of the assignments) there is a serious monetary punishment. There aren't many refunds of college tuition for this kinds of shenanigans. Tough lesson to learn. Schools aren't doing students any favors by letting them "pass."
A "grade" is supposed to be a record of an "assessment" of a student's ability/effort on a lesson plan. It gives the teacher, parent and student feedback for what the student still needs to learn, and helps them develop the next lesson/learning experience. When school admin systems manipulate assessment records, the student suffers because there is no accurate record of how the student is currently doing, thus no clarity on the next steps needed to help her or him adjust and learn.
My daughter-in-law is a teacher. She is totally speechless at the amount of parents who never return her calls, answer her letters, or even come to scheduled Parent-Teacher meetings. That's where most of the problem comes from. Home. Lack of interest on all levels. And the teachers are to blame for poor students. (sarcasm alert) My father made sure my homework was done every night, and made sure all studying and assignments were complete. My husband decided to go into substitute teaching. He quit after one month. Things have changed.
Load More Replies...People need critical feedback in school. Way too many students are passed who can barely write. This isn't just K-12, it even happens in college. I received a resume and cover letter from a candidate with a Master's degree yesterday who could not write a single complete sentence. We're not helping people by telling them that poor quality work or no work is acceptable.
Directors and some teachers agreed I deserved to pass to 1rst grade when I was 6: I didn't wanted to learn a lot of things -my mind was busy in other important childish s**t, OF COURSE- but I was very good at other ones. My Mom and a few teachers were certain I wasn't ready... and they were right. I suffered my entire childhood because I was not mature enough to keep the rhythm of the class. I was always behind, with mediocre grades, feeling totally s****y about myself, working double for lame, shameful grades but not bad enough to repeat a year. It was horrible. Until I hit University, my life at school and as a schoolgirl was miserable. Repeating a grade is NOT a bad thing. Some children needs it. And looking this super fun assignment and the great work other kids did... the ones who didn't totally deserves a big fat zero. I wonder how bad life will treat this irresponsible kids when they start university and/or looking for decent jobs...
If you dont hand in any work you dont get a grade, that's just the way it is, but there should also be a procedure to engage those students in their studies and diagnose why it may be that they weren't capable of handing in the work, was it a general apathy towards that subject or perhaps a situation at home or maybe they have support needs. Firing the teacher doesn't solve anything and is just a s****y way of treating someone who dedicated 17 years to teaching
I really do support the teacher’s opinion on this matter. If you don’t do the work, you don’t get any credit. Currently a college student, I work my butt off in academics to get my degree and scholarships, yet I’ve seen some people who don’t do their work (more often in gen ed classes). All the professors did was just hand them zeros for not doing work, and those students tanked these classes. This idea is merely babying students and pleasing the angry parents. The parents need to realize that their children are accountable, not the teachers. I had a seventh grade science teacher who told us about parents getting angry at him for “failing their kids”, yet it’s actually the kids at fault.
Because we cant wear tank tops because 'we're preparing you for the business world' but you can also not do work and pass because that will prepare for the business world
...I can't tell where the sarcasm lies here, because I can tell you, I work with some folks that do not work and keep their job. :)
Load More Replies...Celebrating mediocrity by hoisting them up. The "I'm getting a participation award" generation will be in for a big surprise when real failure arrives...aka college.
Your system is a joke!! Where I'm from, if you did nothing in school, didn't hand in your assignment or didn't come in class, you'd get a big fat 0! But this is coming from someone who was educated in one of the best school systems in the world...
LOL England doesn't have one of the best systems so no I don't come from England.
Load More Replies...Teaching people to do nothing because they will still get 50% basically encourages them to do nothing. Should I expect to get 50% of my salary if I never actually do anything at work? Absolutely not, I don’t see why students should be treated any different, you have to teach them that. If I hadn’t gotten a 0 on a project a couple of years ago I would still be postponing all of my work to the last minute and I’d barely ever get anything done. Where I went to school we had a special letter grade for kids who did nothing in class/didn’t show up. It was a W, not sure why they chose that specifically but it was essentially worse than an F because it signifies that you did nothing. Maybe 3 people got a W the first year it was implemented and none are getting them anymore. Kids need to be taught that their actions can have serious consequences
This is what you get when you let the government run your schools, people smart enough to push buttons, but not smart enough to ask questions. The deliberate dumbing down of America, read the book !!!
This is the problem with society today. Trying to make everyone equal when we are not. Because of that everyone is supposed to get a passing grade for being lazy or everyone gets a trophy just for showing up?? What a bunch of BS. If you don't earn it, you don't get it, plain and simple.
In life when we don't do anything we get fired or we get reprimanded. Why aren't kids getting the same treatment? We're supposed to mold them to be responsible adults, but how can we do that when we can't even hold them accountable for doing bad in school? This is as bad as participation trophies.
I wonder if what’s needed to be done is to actually hold the parent accountable. Force the parent to deal with negative credit points or pay a fine, if the child was unwilling to do the bare minimum to genuinely deserve a passing grade. Because as some teachers have mentioned, some ‘parents’ don’t even return the call and the parents only call when their child is in detention because they want their older child to look after their younger one. This also might deter lazy, irresponsible, selfish people from even having children to begin with, which is also a good point.
If a parent genuinely did all that he/she can to encourage their child to do the bare minimum, but the child continues to be a lazy snob, then the parent should know that they have an immorally abnormal child with a severe case of entitlement, and so a parent should contact psychologists and ask for the school administration’s help, just to make it clear that the parent isn’t negligible; the parent simply no longer knows what to do with the child’s lazy attitude. If the psychologists found out that the child has some learning disability(dyslexia, etc) , then it’s great to know this sooner than later, provide resources to help the child learn to deal with the disability in a productive way, and problem would be solved (with much effort and time, yes, but no free passing grade is given anymore, this way).
Load More Replies...This participation awards thing again? *shakes head* That's just pathetic. This goes for more than just school grades too, although I suppose that's where it starts - this whole "everyone deserves a trophy just so no one feels left out and we all look great in the end" thing is a bomb on a slow timer, the world made of up of solely people with such mentality cannot possibly exist.
Kudos to that teacher for not giving a 50% grade for NOTHING!! This reeks of pathetic liberal ways to indoctrinate our children instead of TEACHING THEM!!
This goes hand-in-hand with ALL of the "politically correct" nonsense. Don't give them a failing grade!! It will hurt their feelings! Also, NO student should stand out from others! We dont want the kids to think that a couple of students are smarter than them! We want them all to be treated the same as each other! Its TOTAL b******t!
I love that the teacher gave 0's when the students did not do the work. Passing a student along does absolutely nothing for the student. It needs to stop. Forget all of the past hardwork the student has done, the student must continue to work hard in order to pass; if you miss an assignment you get a 0--if you get enough 0's you fail, end of story. The point of school is to educate students. A student that turns in no work is not educated. Teacher's that support the "mandatory lowest grade" rule do nothing to support the students--teachers that support this rule PROVE that they only care about themselves, their reputations, and the school's passing percentage rate. Those teachers MUST be fired. Those people who work in the school district who support the rule MUST be fired from educational positions. Students MUST be held accountable for their choices and their actions. We all run into problems, we all have setbacks, we all have hiccups, but we still much be held accountable.
If I took a test and only got 3 of 10 problems correct, would I get a 30% or 50% on the test? If 50%, why bother trying at all on that test? Most kids want to do better than an F. But for those who don't care, they are still learning...how to take advantage of the system.
It isn't "this generation." Every generation has effed up and lazy people. Heck, there are even people who are just a-holes like you in every generation.
Load More Replies...Do they think when they get to the work force they should be paid for not doing their work?
How can you possibly earn anything by doing nothing!? Is this how we are educating our kids? If you do nothing, you still get a lot of credit! This is b******t, just like participation trophies. Firing her for this is ridiculous... However, if the school fired her because her inability to write properly... I may agree with the school, what TerribLE handwriting!
My classwork was difficult but my grading was easy--if you truly tried to do the work. The students who failed my class had to work hard to fail. But zero work resulted in zero class credit. No one ever faulted me for that. Students wanted to retake classes with me. I could be quite flexible, as in a student who couldn't get to first period on time because she had elementary school siblings to get to school first. I allowed her extra time to turn in assignments, which she did turn it. She ended up with a B and I felt this was sad as her quickness in understanding would have resulted in an A+ if she'd been able to attend all of class regularly. Another ESL student got C- which I also felt bad about because he actually did everything twice, in his native language and in English. However, he refused to have his tests translated or to take extra time for them which he clearly needed as he'd just moved to the US. His ESL teacher accused me of favoritism because he passed. 😑
In China, the great Confucius would not ever teach the ones who make three faults at school.
And this is why America is going down the tubes: giving credit for attendence!!!
How the f**k did things get like this? Here I am thinking about my 9th grade English monster... I failed English. One of the things I failed because of was that she would repeatedly score us, 400 f*****g points, for the condition of a goddamned three-ring binder, acting like all that s**t mattered. “I’m preparing you for college!” Lady, you’re a narcissist who failed to become a college professor, now teaching middle school like it’s the most important thing ever. And now they fire teachers for grading kids APPROPRIATELY???
I failed a class in college one time for no homework turned in, even though I attended every class and aced all the tests. How come I wasn't an "exception"?
The scenario above is appalling and directly leads to a whole bunch of kids who are unable to find work when hey leave school. We already see it in the workplace where people cannot spell, write a legible sentence or problem solve.
This post is still here? The most important information here is the teacher's note to students. This is COMPLETELY inappropriate. This is an issues between and employee and her supervisors. The students should NOT be involved in this half-assed fashion...AT ALL. This shows the immaturity and, perhaps, incompetence, of the teacher. This is shameful...I would have fired her for the note to the students! What, is she 11 years old?
Look, as a teacher, a student who hands something in can get a 50%, why should the student who did the work (albeit horribly) get the same mark as someone who did none at all?
Part of the problem is the old way grading is done. Each level is worth 10 points except F, which is 50 points. One F (kid may be sick or family emergency) can destroy a kids grade. I would rather use the 0-5 point scale where a rubric lists the level of competency a student has at each level. Then the student knows where they need to improve (they may be good at some things, but not others). It provides a clearer picture of student competency. There may be separate rubrics and grades for separate skills. Once you learn to use it, it is not much harder than regular grading, but it is clearer where the students need more instruction, both on a group and on an individual level. Not handing in work is a behavioral issue that is covered in this grading system. When giving grades, the comment codes put in let the parents know specifically where their child needs help. The student also knows and is less likely to give up.
Oh...and putting this back on students in a barely readable note?.....REALLY bad form......REALLY, REALLY bad form. This destroys all credibility. I support teachers....my grandfather was one, my dad was one, I was one...my wife was one...my daughter is one. This situation does not smell right.
Hmmmm, there is probably more history here than has been revealed. I worked in the public sector for decades. You need to find out how to do the good work amidst bad practices. If you do not, you are out. Getting fired might well be taking the easy way out.
in my country even you have done doing task there is still posibility to get below 40 %
When I was going to grade school, they should have failed me due to my homework & performance. Instead they just passed me on. The next year, I didn't understand the things they were trying to teach me & I just gave up cuz I didn't understand & the teachers didn't try to understand why I continued to fail; they had too many kids in their classrooms to bother with 1 child who had problems. The best thing I ever learned in school was to READ! With that I was able to teach myself things. I am not good at math & still have to count on my fingers, but I can build a computer from scratch & I use Linux instead of windows & its cuz I learned to read. As far as my teachers are concerned, I don't hold them responsible. They did what they could, the administration was the one that was at fault for crowding the room & pushing the teachers!
I just don't understand 50% given even if the student turned in nothing. Nothing is 0, amiright? Then that's what you get. If a kid has gotten into high school with that kind of attitude or got there even though they had an unaddressed learning disability, then that's a reflection on our schools and educators. I do not presume to know the answers, I'm just really glad my kids are done.
Wow as a Brit, this story is insane! You should be marked appropriately for the effort and quality of work submitted! Giving a no show student an A or 50% for s**t work is insulting to those who do try and come to lessons. What kind of example is this? I'm appalled! Teachers should inspire and educate their pupils to do better, not pander to them! How does this set up Children for a real world where they will be judged!?
Lets face reality in the business world. If one is not finishing a job to agreed standard, the client can refuse payment until the work is complete. In income terms this does mean "0". In line with school work, no assignment supplied, 0 score. In Germany we had a strict teacher keeping a notebook entering a 0 for each home work not supplied. On 3 x 0s an entry into the class log book followed. The tolerance span then shortened to the next 2 x 0s, eventually resulting in a class log book for every 0 achieved. At the end of year report conferences such notes had to be considered for the student's attitude on work and whether a socialisation problem did exist. It is part of a friendly discipline project. At Scouts in Australia as an Adult Leader I was expected to help and test the Youth on achieving progress in their Badgework. As badges are a visual certificate, I did not treat them like lollies and requested the Scouts to show some effort to keep the expected standard.
Simple: F = 50-59. The idea is to give more probabilities to the student's to pass the class.
I think, that is bull c**p! If you don’t want to be in the classroom, then go to a technical school and learn a trade. Passing your grade, for no work, is so evil and sets the kids up to fail over and over. A boos doesn’t want an employee that can’t do the work, or won’t. So, if you don’t want to be in school, go waste your time somewhere else. Most jobs require at least a HS diploma, but.. if you graduate and don’t even know how to make change? Then you are in deep do do.
This is too depressing. The whole system is depressing. It's extremely important to learn about consequences, to be diligent and respective. Also everyone has different talents. Not every child must be perfect at maths or eloquent... We should try as hard as we can and learn how to provide for ourselves in the future. It's so complicated...
Let's hope these kid can find an employer who is okay with their doing no work.
In Southern California that rule doesn't exist. I don't know what people they have that stupid to have made that rule. What if the student does work and gets below a 50%?
Last year, a girl was really, really hardworking. Not smart, hardworking. She was always the first to raise her hand, took the most notes, and studied like crazy. One day, what a graded assignment to do at home. The girl did it, and scored 49%. A couple of other kids never bothered to even do it. And yet, they all got 50's even though it was totally unfair.
That's why I'm not dying and leaving my world to this bunch of uneducated idiots!
Teachers are the sometimes the first line of defense against a stupid society. They would not be teachers if we could not learn from them.
Once i failed a math test so bad that the teacher had to change the evaluation system to not give me a negative grade, i still ended up with a 0,5/10 score while as a result the rest of the class, every single one of them, got 10/10. Some of them are still gratefull to me XD
If it is possible to get a negative grade on a math test, the evaluation system is wrong. Each answer should make up a percentage of the 100%. So it should not be mathematically possible to get a negative if the test is fair.
Load More Replies...I think a 1 is usually lowest here. Why does teaching always seem so difficult in the US for some reason :') I'm studying to be a highschool teacher, teaching a number of classes now, and kids here always turn in something. If they don't, they get a 1 and you don't want a 1, no kid does (here). An insufficient grade? Sure, you get another assignment, or you try to get a better grade next time. But so far, over the past year, I've NEVER had a student not handing in an assignment at all. But also important: give them the right feedback, try to talk with those kids, instead of JUST giving them a 0. Feedback that's not just aimed at the grade itself, but the learning process of a kid, is so much more important than that grade itself.
Oh, but apparently I live in a country that has the happiest kids in the world. Maybe that's why they're willing to at least TRY to get good enough grades. :P (and there's a lot of differentiation between types of student here. The students that have a higher capacity for learning and thinking certain ways are in different classes (that aims the students to eventually attend applied and/or academic university) than kids that are better in other ways, for instance doing practical work, aimed at attending vocational school after highschool).
Load More Replies...This is just one (of many) reasons I used my teaching degree, not to 'teach', but went into social services. Now, I teach parents & families. For me, a better fit.
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