principal suggested I cahnge grades

[westvillagegirl]

principal suggested I change grades

What is the name of your state?Texas

I work as a Spanish teacher at a large middle school. Last Monday I was called into the principal's office. She asked the asst. principal to sit in as a witness. She told me that she had heard that I had passed atheletes who were actually failing my class. Then that she also heard that I curved grades of students.

It is true that I passed the atheletes who were failing and that I curved the grades for my students. However, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. For instance, one student had a 68% and I gave him a 75% because he made an effort. I curved every student's grade, not just select individuals.

Furthermore, I know for a fact that at least half of the teachers at my school did this also. But, I am the only one who was called in the office for it.

The problem is that the Principal and asst. principal made a suggestion that they wished I had not done that because they said I will cause a lot of problems and that parents will call the school questioning my grading policy.

Moreover, they "suggested" that I change all grades back to the true grade average. So, when I received the posted grade sheet, I changed them as requested. I did not fail any students, and I still gave my students good grades, because they deserved it according to my records.

So, the problem is that now they are holding it against me for lowering some grades.

Another problem, there were students on my report card grade sheet that had never been in my class. I was told I had to give them a grade. I found out that these students were actually in the other Spanish teacher's class. I asked her what grades she gave them and made sure I matched hers.

On her report card grade sheet were students that had never been in her class. These students are in my class and I had already given them grades. But, this is a new teacher, and she didn't ask what to do with the students who weren't hers, so she gave them all 50%.

This has shown up on my failure report, when in fact these students did not fail. I am now in trouble for failing too many students for this mistake.

These students received their report cards listing them in 2 Spanish classes during the same class period with 2 different teachers and 2 different grades.

This should have never happened. The counselor is responsible for this. She will not admit it is her fault and had placed all blame on me and the other teacher.

I had problems last year with my former principal as in my last post about "tape-recording students". I was transferred to anther school by the Asst. Superintendent who was furious with the principal for what she did to me.

The principal at my new school and my former principal are friends. This new one has already started a paper trail against me. I have been obiding by all rules and have other teacher witnesses. These principals here in this district are malicious and play very dirty. I am on 3 nerve pills a day (as are many other teachers at this school) and my hair is falling out over this harrassment.

What am I supposed to do? Do I now start all correspondance/communication through letters only (with copies for my files)?

I know I can repond through writing and add "cc" to Superintendent, Personnel and Asst. Superintendent. I was advised this by an attorney who believes it is good practice to do so against bullying bosses. He says that this would make them think twice about what they are doing and that they would be suspicious as to who else may also be receiving the letter/correspondance.

I contacted TSTA and my local teacher organization representative. They are investigating. In Texas we do not have teacher unions.

I stayed home Thursday and Friday due to severe stress. I am very worried about going back to the school this week. I don't know what they will be up to next.

Should also mention that I am white, principal and asst. principal are black. I work in an almost all black school and this district is considered a black school district. Racism and prejudice exist here as they do no where else. We are referred to as "white devils" at the high school. I have been referred to as a "cracker" on many occassions. (the term doesn't bother me ). The white teachers at the high school are suing the school principal and district.

I am confused as to how I should deal with this problem.

 

[Who's Liable?]

Do as the attrny suggested by CC the superintendent and asst. etc., you need to create a paper trail, and it will make someone think twice before replying in a negative tone. Also, print out all emails received from them and place them safe.

 

[cmorris]

I think you need to change your teaching practices. You keep having problems in the schools, yet it is never YOUR fault. How do you justify giving unearned grades? Anyone should be able to look at your grade book and records to determine a student's grade.

 

[westvillagegirl]

re: changed grades

Communicaton is lacking where I work. What goes for one school doesn't go at another school. At the other school, we were not allowed to fail anyone. At this school, they seem to want you to fail the students if they are not doing the work.

This is an inner-city school district plagued with gang violence and drugs. We must have police officiers in the building for protection.

I am not the only one with a problem here. There are 8 other white, experienced teachers experiencing the same thing. The are lucky enough to be retirement age.

 

[GaAtty]

GaAtty

It seems to me that integrity is not a quality that you prize. You do not seem to think that there is anything wrong with giving students grades they did not make, and giving other students grades who have never been in your class. If I were a parent of one of the children to whom you gave a grade when my child had never been in your class, I would be voicing my outrage to some people above you, especially if my child got an F and he/she was never in your class! And just think--students can work an entire semester in your class, thinking that their grades are determined in a certain manner, and then, just when they think they have really earned their A,B, or C, you just change all the rules at the end of the semester if the school officials complain. Do you ever just stand firm? How hard is it to say, the student made a D, he gets a D, regardless of whether he tried or not? Where are your standards, that someone can pass because they try? Trying isn't the same as accomplishing. How hard is it to say, NO, I can't give someone a grade if I never had them. I also think that you are unfair. Why will you raise the grade of a student "just for trying" and yet give F's to students that you have never seen? How do you know THEY didn't try? And did you raise the grades of you B students to A's like you raised the grades of your failing students to D's? I think you are very arbitrary and flippant about something that is extremely important. A grade represents hours of work for a student, over a period of months, and you act like it is just something that you have to write down, whether it is correct or not. Don't you realize that the F grades you give out so readily can change kids' lives? Those grades can make the difference between being fussed at or not at home, between receiving or scholarship or not, between college or no college, and maybe even the deciding factor in a student's suspension or expulsion or decision to drop out. It also seems like some of these things are left to the last minute. Why is it that you are just finding out about the enrollment error at the end of the grading period? Why are you having to make decisions about the athletic players and their additional points added to their GPA after the semester is over? Did you tell ALL the students at the BEGINNING of the semester that you would do that FOR EVERYONE? It seems that you are not being very professional and not a serious teacher, and your standards are as firm as cooked spaghett. While you are concerned about the principal, etc., being fair to you, I am not at all impressed that you do the same for your students.

 

[westvillagegirl]

re: changed grades

I am another teacher writing on behalf of WESTVILLAGEGIRL. I am OUTRAGED at what a couple of you have posted. First of all, you don't even know what you are talking about. EVERY TEACHER did this, she was only FOLLOWING the SCHOOL'S POLICY. This district is PLAGUED by CORRUPTION in the administration. Call TEA and they WILL CONFIRM this.

Secondly, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR BEING INSUBORDINATE for NOT PASSING the school's STAR ATHELETES. And SHE DID VOICE HER opinion on the issue. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT A teacher last year was FIRED for refusing to pass students who failed. And WESTVILLAGEGIRL was NOT the one who FAILED those other students, they WERE NOT EVEN IN HER CLASS!!!! They were in ANOTHER TEACHER'S class and SHE FAILED them. The corrupt counselor changed all of this put WESTVILLAGEGIRL'S name as the teacher on the report card, when they had NEVER been in HER class!!!!!

AND AFTER SHE VOICED HER OPINION, THAT'S WHEN SHE WAS ASKED TO CHANGE THE GRADES. AND THEN THEY ACTED LIKE SHE WAS THE ONE WHO DID SOMETHING WRONG. 55 OTHER TEACHERS DID THE SAME THING OUT OF FEAR OF HARRASSMENT. WE WERE GIVEN A MEMO SAYING IT WAS A DIRECTIVE TO PASS THE SCHOOL'S STAR FOOTBALL PLAYERS.

And to YOU CMORRIS, who said that SHE said SHE was never wrong, SHE NEVER EVER SAID that SHE had no fault!

I hope one day, CMORRIS & GaATTY, who are so QUICK to judge without knowing the FACTS have the CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITY of working for such a CORRUPT SYSTEM. So currupt that the EDUCATION AGENCY has to come down FREQUENTLY and has appointed MORE THAN A DOZEN officials to "watch" this school district. TEA WILL BE TAKING OVER THIS DISTRICT because of the NUMEROUS LAWSUITS filed against this district by TEACHERS who ARE HARRASSEd to the point of SERIOUS ILLNESSES because they asked questions and made the same statements some of you posted. I SHOULD know, I AM one of the teachers SUING and we haved already WON the GRievance we filed and the DISTRICT is now wanting to settle out of court.

They have ALSO, IN THE PAST, illegally garnished some of our wages to pay for their poor accounting practices. They have teachers sign blank contracts without telling them in person whether they were renewed for the next year. And then when they do give out the contract, they won't tell us what our salary is until around DECEMBER.

These are NOT MY OPINIONS, they are FACTS. Call TEA, call TSTA or NEA. This is one of the WORST School districts in the COUNTRY!! They can't get CERTIFIED TEACHERS, they must hire noncertified teachers and use permanent substitutes. This distict has been called a a BEAUROCRATIC NIGHTMARE. It is always the subject of the local television stations and newspapers.

The majority of the students can't even pass the state test. WHY??? Maybe it's because of the BLACK MOLD or the RAIN FALLING on their HEADS FROM THE WHOLES IN THE CEILING or the CEILING caving in AND PAINT CHIPS FALLING ON THEIR HEADS.

WHEN CMORRIS and GaATTY attacked WESTVILLAGEGIRL, you all attacked a lot of innocent people as well. Some of us ARE WHISLE BLOWERS. WE MUST SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF REPORTING SUCH CORRUPT PRACTICES.

No one at our school appreciated your INSENSITIVE comments.

Walk a MILE in our shoes, then maybe you can make a legitimate comment on the matter.

 

[cmorris]

Most people in my family either go into education or nursing. I am in education myself, so I do have a clue about all of this.

If the system was so corrupt, why not get another job in another district? Why punish yourself? Spanish teachers are in NEED, so she could get a job probably just about anywhere. Since she chooses to stay in such a corrupt system, it is her own fault.

 

[Ramble23]

great comedy!

The replies here confirm what a deliciously hilarious sideshow this forum is.

GaAtty, you are no doubt suffering from the perspective one takes from the Olympian heights of his (or her) insulated, cushy office. How crass, how lacking in ethics are those who must fight in the down-and-dirty real world! Cluck, cluck, tsk, tsk, young lady... and so forth.

You remind me of those parents who refuse to send their children to fight in Iraq, but are first to criticize the misdeeds of the soldiers over there.

You must forgive GaAtty, WV Girl -- one becomes a little cranky when one's seat cheeks begin to chafe from so much time spent atop the moral high horse.

Poster cmorris has the best advice -- and should take it. If WV Girl's thread is so offensive, why remain here to post so often? Surely a poster of your skills and wisdom would be in demand ANYWHERE -- so why punish yourself by staying? Since you choose instead to remain in such a corrupt thread and complain -- your unhappiness with WV Girl must be your own fault.

By all means, take your wise advice, and go! Godspeed! Best wishes, and don't let the doorknob...