Posted on 04/22/2005 3:33:56 PM PDT by GeorgiaBushie
My ninth grader just found out she has a 69 in Algebra 1. She is/was an honor roll student and has been doing very well in school. She has A's and B's in all of her other subjects and should have an A in Algebra, as well.
Ashley, my daughter, started off the 2nd semester of Algebra 1 with a 90. About 2 weeks into the start of the new year, she was bumped to another teacher along with four others because they were ahead of the rest of the class. The new teacher resigned from the school three weeks later to accept a teaching job in Florida and another teacher/substitute replaced that one. Ashley was then bumped to another teacher because another teacher was teaching the chapters that Ashley and the 4 others were in, again, they were ahead of the rest of the class.
Somewhere in this shuffle, test scores were lost and Ashley and the other students that were bumped are paying the price for it. The newest teacher has given these students zeros for not having the test score (seems at the worst it should be NA). It also does not help that only the newest teacher requires vocabulary testing and Ashley was given a vocabulary test upon arrival in her class and made a 25 on it and the teacher will not allow her to retake the test for a better score.
She is missing most of a chapter (Chapter 8) and she is presently at chapter 9.3 The teacher will not allow her to continue at chapter 9.3 but is making her start all of chapter 8 over. This will cause her to have to go to the summer school program to be able to even get a credit for Algebra 1.
Other than going to the Principle or VP as has been suggested, or to the school board, I can think of nothing else, sorry to say.
Then they ask why do people want to Home School. With incompetent teachers and administrators what other recourse is there. It seems that since the Free wheeling Socialist have taken over there is no common sense or responsibility. The teachers want paid and don't want to do their jobs!
I never realized our Louisiana computers are 5 seconds slower than them fancy Maryland ones!
Seems to me, if you could show she was in those classes on the days of the test, they'd have to listen. Do they take attendence ?
It would be impossible not to take the test if she were in class.
If the missing tests were left out of the factor, what would her scores be ?
If they were high enough, it would seem that should be eveidence enough that something is amiss.
Thank you! I really am a lurker and rarely ever post. Just a reader that spends a whole lot of time here.
GeorgiaBushie has been a member of FR for a year.
Why are you calling GeorgiaBushie a troll, Clara Lou?
You guys just take me out and shoot me if it makes you feel better, I said I was sorry.LOL
Heh..it's the heat.
With the zeros taken out she would be at a 93.
For one thing, you can say, "Look, it wasn't my daughter's fault that a member of your faculty lost her grades." Can you call the teacher who gave her the grades and see if he/she can attest to the grades to satisfy the new teacher? If you kick up a big enough fuss, some accomodation will be made.
You may not like my advice, but I am going to give it to you anyway. Tell your daughter that stuff like this does sometimes happen in life, and that it is unfortunate, but there is always a silver lining.
Get her excited about the opportunity to have a bit of a head's up and review in summer school, and speculate about the advantage this will give her for next year.
With a child this age, it is not the end of the world to have to go to summer school, or get extra tutoring. If she is in a "problematic school", this is probably a blessing in disguise.
The very last thing I would do is to carry on about the lousy school system in front of her. This will just set you up for three more years of problems, and this is the foundation year for her high school success.
If she is a good student, as you say, she will not mind retaking a few tests, as they will not be that difficult for her, and reviewing chapter material isn't the end of the world.
I am very sympathetic with your situation. I would point out to her, however, that if she is going to give up each time she encounters something "unfair" (which this is)prospects for her future are dismal.
They do take attendance, but it wouldn't prove the test dates. Students work on a chapter at their own pace and take a test to move on to another chapter. It is pretty obvious, however, that she took the tests and passed with at least an 80 because that is the requirement for moving on to a new chapter.
Go camp out in the pricipal's office until you get what you want or are escorted out. If the latter, cheerfully announce that the school board has a nicer office, anyway. Then go there. Your profile says you are creative, well use it!
"She is crying and saying why should she even try."
You and I just got crossed in the aether.
no worries?
Don't rant or rave, yet. The principal is the top dog at the school and he is the one that you must convince that a meeting with you is best for him/her. It sounds like so far you have dealt with camp followers. While convincing the Principal to meet with you, also contact the superintendent of schools and the school board. Keep pushing and the door will open.
it sure seems like. with these facts at hand, you can patiently and accurately lay out the scenario that happened, to prove that a mistake was made on their end.
Don't back down, in fact, you can word & sequence your questions that will ultumatley back them into a corner, where their last response will have to be..."yeah, you're right".
in my prayers...good luck
I only ask because she wants to be a veterenarian and a lot of people have told me that it is very hard to get into veterinary schools because there are not that many and a lot of students give up and become med students because it is easier to get into.
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