Michelle Malkin: A World Without "F's"

Jewish World Review ^ | 6.19.02 | Michelle Malkin

[mhking]

Jewish World Review June 19, 2002 / 9 Tamuz, 5762

Michelle Malkin

  A world without "F's"

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | School's out. What did your children learn this year? Across the country, one poisonous lesson was pumped into the systems of self-esteem-inflated students: There is no such thing as failure.

Christine Pelton, a now-famous former biology teacher at Piper High School in Piper, Kansas, resigned last month when her school board-pressured by angry parents-refused to support her flunking of nearly 30 students who plagiarized. Two lesser-known teachers also refused to play along with the education establishment's dumbing-down games. They tried to give out F's, too. Their reward for showing children that slacking off has consequences? Humiliation, intimidation, and litigation.

Erich Martel, a history teacher at Wilson Senior High School in Washington, D.C., issued an F last year to a girl who took his Advanced Placement American history course. It was enough to prevent her from graduating. But when the school held its commencement ceremony, there was the student-strolling across the stage in her cap and gown.

Martel checked the school computer system. The student's grade had been boosted to a D. "It was a feeling of being sabotaged, a feeling of being undermined, that for reasons that have nothing to do with the student's performance, there are shortcuts around a teacher's legitimate grade," Martel told the Washington Post last week. And he wasn't alone. Martel discovered at least 11 cases in which students' grades were raised without the knowledge of his fellow teachers.

One student earned a D, which her father protested because his daughter "needed a high grade-point average" to go to college. The teacher relented, and gave the student the chance to retake a final exam. Her score was even lower. The teacher kept the original grade. But Martel later discovered that it had been changed to a "P" (for "Pass"). "I could not believe it," the overruled teacher, Anexora Skvirsky said. "I am absolutely alarmed. It is uncalled for. It is intolerable. It's like cheating. It's like lying. It's like fraud." Like?

As for those responsible for altering the grades, the D.C. schools are sending a consistent message: Screw up, move up. The assistant high school principal who changed the grade of Martel's student is now a principal at an elementary school in the district. And Wilson High's former principal, who also altered grades, is now an assistant superintendent overseeing the city's high schools. She justifies the grade changes because they were "unfair."

"Unfair" is the same gripe that came from the parents of a high school senior at Sunrise Mountain High School in Glendale, Arizona. When their daughter flunked a required English class, which she needed to pass in order to graduate, Mom and Dad did the natural thing in a no-consequences world: They hired a lawyer.

In a missive that would make the parody writers at the satirical magazine, The Onion, blush, attorney Stan F. Massad demanded that teacher Elizabeth Joice "take whatever action is necessary to correct this situation so that it can be settled amicably. Failing that, you will force us to institute litigation." Massad claimed that his client "has been very sick, unable to sleep or eat and she has been forced to seek medical attention. To say that she has experienced Severe Emotional and Physical Distress over this matter is an understatement."

Turning up the sob-story volume, Massad bemoaned: "The student was all ready to graduate and, now, at the eleventh hour she is told that she will not. As you know, the student is on the Student Council and she was looking forward to speaking at the Graduation Ceremonies. It is certainly a shame that this young lady's life has now been ruined forever." (The full text of the bullying letter is available at http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0611lawyerletter-ON.html.)

The Arizona Republic reported that just hours before her graduation last month, the student was allowed to take a retest-over Joice's objections. The student passed the retest and got her diploma. Life, she has learned from her litigious parents and obsequious school officials, is one big do-over.

Whiny parents wonder why public schools have abandoned standards, forsaken accountability, and adopted appeasement as their primary educational mission. Oh, who could be to blame for such an abysmal abdication of responsibility? Who?

[Sloth]

I agree with the gist of the article, but I also wonder how many of these teachers are simply evil.

[Illbay]

I'll tell you one HUGE reason that school systems are bending over for parents: Fear of lawsuits.

If legislators really want to stem this tide, they will sponsor legislation to make school systems immune from being sued by irate parents upset that their kids' grade reflected reality.

[Illbay]

Yeah, teachers decide to dedicate their lives to low pay and crummy working conditions, and of course the constant threat of lawsuits (not to mention actual PHYSICAL threats from parents, my wife could tell you stories) just to have the opportunity to serve Satan.

Sounds plausible to me.

[End Times Sentinel]

I, for one, have had it with all this bashing of public skools. If it wasn’t for social promotion, my good natured parent’s endless hectoring of the faculty, and the heavy hammer of expensive litigation, I’d likely still be in middle skool.

Yet now, I and those over-taxed, under brained, intellectually challenged like myself are walking around with college degrees, moistening seats in American industry, and spending time on the internet when by all rights I should actually be working.

America, I am the future generation, my time is here.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[Economist_MA]

Thanks, now I am depressed.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I also wonder how many of these teachers are simply evil.

For very good coverage and links on he Peoria, AZ case where the lawyer threatened the teacher (including a link to the actual lawyer's letter where the lawyer threatens to make "every detail of your personal and private life" public or words close to that), see Walter Olson's great Overlawyered.com.

By the way, this public school teacher who insisted on failing a kid with spotty attendance, poor grades, and a record of cheating(!), told the lawyer to go soak his head. She was overruled by school administrators!

If all the teachers were bad, the question of what to do about the schools wouldn't be a question. The fact is many of them are good and it is possible for an alert and determined kid to educate him or herself in most public schools. We are fighting around the margins of "what would be better" but I think everyone committed to quality accepts that just like excellent school work, shoddy school work should have consequences.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Political Junkie Too]

In a couple of generations this will all be moot, as there won't be anyone left who can teach the young, conduct effective business, make the next technological breakthrough, manage the affairs of state, etc.

-PJ

[Sloth]

So you find it implausible that low pay and crummy working conditions could generate bitterness or vindictiveness? Hmmm.

I am reminded of my dedicated 7th-grade math teacher, Mrs. Marvel, who gave me the only 'C' I ever received for a full grading period. No doubt she was just trying to help further quality education when she awarded 50 bonus points to everyone in class, just for showing up, on the day of my grandmother's funeral.

[mhking]

If legislators really want to stem this tide, they will sponsor legislation to make school systems immune from being sued by irate parents upset that their kids' grade reflected reality.

Combine that with 'loser pays' legislation, and you might have something. Of course, we both know that once the lawyers get together and start lobbying the Hill (provided the elected lawyers already up there don't stifle this to begin with), that it'll be dead in the water...[sigh]

[Kermit]

I don't believe these teachers are surprised. They know where they work, they work in the biggest socialist organization in America, government schools. They've known about the increasing PC policies of schools since the mid-60's. It's not a surprise.

[Illbay]

So you find it implausible that low pay and crummy working conditions could generate bitterness or vindictiveness? Hmmm.

No, I find it far more likely that the VAST majority of teachers do this because they love it and are dedicated to their profession.

I know that sounds naive in this cynical time and place we're in, but my own experience has shown it to be true in the huge majority of cases.

[cgk]

Malkin bump...

Mrs K

[Ohioan]

This situation is disgusting, I would certainly agree. But I am not sure that lawyers have any major share in the blame. Have any suits against teachers for failing students, actually succeeded? If any have, I would think that there would have had to be a finding of something far beyond the mere awarding of an F to a student who probably deserved it.

I think the real problem here is the NEA mindset, which has been far more concerned with socialistic political and social values than real education for a very long time now.

Of course, as far as the Courts are concerned, the idea of a suit by a student against a teacher for treating the student unfairly, could very well cut both ways. What about a suit against a teacher or school, for deliberately teaching a student that there is no real accountability in life. After all, if you expect to get an automatic passing grade, you are never going to imagine what is in store for you in the real world.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[TC Rider]

Slightly off subject, but, am I the only one who thinks Michelle is a Hottie?

[mhking]

Slightly off subject, but, am I the only one who thinks Michelle is a Hottie?

No, not by any stretch of the imagination...

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Unfortunately, teaching has become a method for indoctrination. It is possible that there are some teachers out there who are interested in teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, but more and more of them don't actually believe in these concepts to begin with.

[stylin_geek]

I would like to see Michelle and Condi working out together.....

[rdb3]

Slightly off subject, but, am I the only one who thinks Michelle is a Hottie?

Uhhh... My wife won't allow me to say.

;-)

[TC Rider]

I almost feel sorry for the lefties, they have all of the truely hideous shrews and we've got;

Our Ann Coulter

Michelle Malkin

Deborah Saunders

Debbie Schlussel

Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick

I'm sure the rest of you have other favorites. But, even the one's on the right that are not total knockouts are certainly easy on the eyes.

The only lefty babe I can think of is Christina Van Der Hoffen of 'The Nation'. Of course, she breaks the spell as soon as she utters a word.