Do you think this is fair? UPDATE post #13

[buzzlady]

DS13 had a book report to do that counted as 2 test grades. He typed it in school. I saw his draft and corrected some things. He said that he was going to fix it in school the next day and hand it in. I spoke to his teacher (she called me) last week. She wanted to let me know that DS was doing very well and that he was the first person to hand in his book report!

Today DS came home from school and told me that he got 2 0s for his book report because another kid copied his report from the computer and handed it in as his own. DS also said that the kid admitted it. So now with 2 test grades of 0, his final grade for the marking period brought him down to failing.

My question is, do you think that it was fair that DS got 0s? I emailed his teacher asking for an explanation.

 

[Maleficent13]

Something doesn't add up here...I'd be very curious to hear what the teacher has to say.

 

[Stitchfans]

Doesn't sound fair at all to me. I am curious what the teachers answer will be.

 

[almacdonald]

I'd fight it.... but I also had pretty high personal expectations for myself. I'd never settle for a 0, especially when I did the work!

Did your son know that the kid copied his paper?

 

[Kae]

I would call for a face to face meeting with the teacher.

Kae

 

[golfgal]

I would see what happened as well. It could very well be that your DS let the kid copy and thus the grade.

 

[C.Ann]

I'd wait to hear the teacher's explanation before I decided on a course of action..

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I'd be in the principal's office. I'd want to get to the bottom of this.

 

[NMAmy]

Didn't the teacher remarked that your son was the first to turn his in? I'd request a meeting with the teacher as well.

 

[buzzlady]

I would have called but they had 1/2 day today. I'm sure I'll be caling on Monday. DS didn't know that this kid copied it. If I hadn't seen the report for myself and seen that it is my DS writing style, I would agree something doesn't add up.

 

[Maleficent13]

How exactly did the other kid get access to the report in order to copy it?

 

[CathrynRose]

My question is, do you think that it was fair that DS got 0s? I emailed his teacher asking for an explanation.

NO!

If this is truly the case - I'd be fuming! Please let us know what her explanation is.

Ill be honest - Im sure there are a TON of great teachers out there, but Im seeing more and more teachers who seem to be in it for summer's off, and are almost bordering on God-Complexes.

 

[buzzlady]

I called DS's teacher this morning. She was sticking to the grade of 0. I told her that I had DS's rough draft that I personally had seen and corrected. She said that if I wanted, I could take it to the V.P. and get him involved, but she had to stick to policy and give both people involved 0 because she couldn't prove that DS was or wasn't the one to copy the report (even though the other kid admitted to it). We got VP involved and the outcome is DS is going to be given a new book to read and do a report on and then receive his final grade. As far as how the report was taken, the computers are NOT password protected!!!! I gave my opinion on that What the kids need to do is get a floppy and save their reports to that.

I was told that the other kid was dealt with. DS's not happy with having to read/do another book report, but hopefully it will be a learning lesson on who to associate with.

 

[PeterPanette]

This won't be helpful to you, but I'll tell it anyway. When I was a senior in highschool, I was a teen mother trying to slug her way on through to graduation. I was in a college prep literature class. I was in Beta club, but I have to confess, I was one of those smart kids who kind of phones it in and gets by. In that classroom, we weren't seated in individual desks, but at long, lunchroom tables.

We had a major test that was to count for half of our course grade. I worked after school, then tended my son at night, and was extremely sleep deprived. This does not excuse my actions. During the test, I was completely drawing a blank on one of the questions. I grabbed the paper of the girl sitting next to me and stole a glance. My beloved teacher happened to be standing right behind me. (I never get away with anything!) He calmly said, "WHAT are you doing?" I burst out laughing and said, "Cheating like hell!" I was caught, and I respected him too much to try and explain it away.

Okay, here's the AWFUL part. He gave the other girl a zero, as well as me! I was devastated for her!! I begged and begged and cried to him, saying it was so unfair to her. But, he said that's just the way it is. She had a perfect average so far in that class, and worked very hard for every "A" she received. And now she was going to fail because of me. She never said an ill word toward me over this incident, by the way.

Finally, after letting me sweat it out for a couple of weeks, he called both of us up to his desk and let us know that he would give us both a 70 on the test. Still unfair to her, and really over-generous to me, but I was so relieved that she wouldn't fail, now, because of my stupidity.

So, I'm wondering if it's just a normal rule of grading? That the cheater and the victim both receive zeros?

I've tried to google that girl to try and contact her, all these years later, and apologize, yet again....I felt THAT bad over it. But, to no avail. So......

I'M SORRY, IDELLA EBERHARDT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!!!

 

[minniecarousel]

Holy mackeral! I think that's horribly unfair! Because someone cheats - steals something of yours - you get punished! (tsk-tsk PeterPanette ). I think I'd still object to this outcome, it just doesn't make sense. (yeah-yeah, life's not fair - but this just doesn't add up).

 

[disneymac]

I'm sorry, but I think that's just crazy. Why should your son be punished for having something stolen from him? The other kid confessed? I'd be back in the office over this one. I think a confession is pretty good proof of who did it! What kind of logic are they using?

 

[delilah]

This situation really doesn't sound fair to me. I think the teacher needs to work on better computer security.

I used to teach an advanced undergraduate physical chemistry lab. The lab reports were highly technical analyses of the experiments done. One time, I caught a student who had copied a lab report, because he had copied a particular section that had unusual phraseology and also was incorrect. That student not only got a zero for the lab report, but, was reported to the dean of the university. He was made to drop the course, and wasn't allowed to reregister.

Another time, I caught a student who was taking the course for somebody else. I caught him because I called him the first student's name, who had been in the course a year before. The fellow turned red, and I reported him to the professor, who in turn, reported him to the dean of the university. I suspect all the students involved were expelled. Actually, I am not sure if this guy was really the first student in the course--he may have been a ringer for more than one student.

So, the stakes get greater the higher up in education that a student goes.

 

[momof2inPA]

That's not right. Once, I cheated trying to help a boy who couldn't pass his states and capitals test. He was never a good student and would never pass the test; I felt so sorry for him, because the students who couldn't pass had to take the test over and over. Anyway, the teacher caught us, and I immediately took the blame. I got the zero, and the teacher saw the error of his ways and changed his teaching practices. I wish your son's teacher were as fair as my teacher had been.

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow that is so not fair! Even their "solution" is not fair! I would have to take that one step further to the principal and then to the superintendant if that was the solution they came up with!! The whole thing is so stupid! If some kid was sitting next to your kid and looked at their paper while they were taking a test and they both got a zero I would be flipping at that too!!