Police: NJ Teacher Made $1,400 Selling Grades

WCBS TV Channel 2 ^ | September 1, 2009 | Christine Sloan

[Clintonfatigued]

If you had the money, you could boost your grades at one New Jersey high school. Police charged a 30-year-old social studies teacher with selling grades.

Danielle Merendino had Megan Laboy as a social studies teacher her sophomore year. "Well she would just say, 'Every dollar you put in will be another dollar for your final grade'."

Police charged Laboy with theft by deception. Investigators said she collected more than $1,400 just this past year from students in exchange for boosting their grades, while pretending she was giving the money to charities.

"It just wasn't right that we, I could work hard, and then other kids could give like $20 and go from failing to having a B in the class," Merendino said.

This is how Danielle said it worked if you were in Laboy's class: if you gave her $5, you'd get a five-point boost in your grade.

"She's not really, wasn't really a good teacher. I'll be honest," said Merendino.

[Drango]

chump change.

[Clintonfatigued]

It’s easy to see this as an indictment of government schools. But it’s refreshing to see some free market principles at work, given that they are rarely seen in our public schools. I wonder if any of the male students offered to pay her with their sexual favors? That would make the scandal complete.

These public school threads have made me pretty jaded.

[A message]

"She's not really, wasn't really a good teacher. I'll be honest," said Merendino.

LOL, ya think.

[OneWingedShark]

It’s just the beginning of the NEA mirroring the rest of the Government. (Cap and Trade, anyone?)

>”She’s not really, wasn’t really a good teacher. I’ll be honest,” said Merendino.

Wow, what an utterly OBVIOUS statement!

[/cynic]*sigh*

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Facebook has been canceled:

[theFIRMbss]

Megan Laboy's
Facebook pic

[OneWingedShark]

>These public school threads have made me pretty jaded.

You and me both.

[MAexile]

I had a biochemistry professor that knew a student that tried to bribe a professor. When turning in a final exam he attached an envelope with a $100 bill and a note that said “$100 for 100 points”.

When he returned the next semester he found in his mailbox the exam, $50 and a note that said “How about $50 for 50 points?”

[theFIRMbss]

>6 posted on Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:58:51 PM by RushIsMyTeddyBear
>7 posted on Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:59:57 PM by theFIRMbss

Sixty-six seconds.
I spent too much time thinking
how Guilty! she is...

[theFIRMbss]

> it’s refreshing to see some free market principles at work

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Guilty! :-D

[Bullish]

Well, it IS New Jersey, right?

Isn’t that the way things are done there?

[Rio]

I do believe that she’s wasted in that pic.

[metmom]

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[pandoraou812]

I read about this today in my newspaper. Just shaking my head again.

[Rebelbase]

A few decades ago there was a prof. at a University in Va. who didn’t take money but did offer selected female students an opportunity to utilize his Chevy van “mobile grade improvement center”.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

Wow maybe I could try this with my students. Instead of money I will exchange good grades for chores!

[Intolerant in NJ]

Wasn’t that the high school where Tony Soprano’s kid went?.....

[Domandred]

Looks kinda like Conan O’Brien