So angry I could bust!! (Vent)

[LisaR]

When my DD was little, we went on some tours of our local private schools. One had a great reputation with people driving an hour each day to attend the school. DD was only in grade school but we were able to tour the upper grades, as well.

It was an open house so one would assume they would want to put their best foot forward.

We went into the 9th grade computer technology class where the kids had collages laid out on their desks that showcased technology. Not one single kid had the name of the class spelled correctly. I swear I am not a grammar Nazi but desk after desk with repeated errors got to me. I made mention of it to the teacher and he was a complete ***. He rudely explained how it was a computer technology class not a grammar class. DH and I quickly crossed that school off our list.

DD is dual enrolled in a humanities class and world religion class at our local community college. Both professors have made it clear that while content is extremely important, if the paper isn't in MLA format or it is full of grammatical errors, grades will drop significantly.

 

[diznygirl]

No sympathy from my. Spelling, grammar and punctuation SHOULD count. Poor lady - having a co-worker call her an "Old Hag" just for doing her job. Being a teacher is rough. You would think you would know better.

 

[Magic Mom]

Have your daughter take it up with a counselor.

I probably wouldn't have skipped school so much if I had a bit of help in the right direction. There's a few teachers that come to mind that have made me hate a subject, then I'd skip their class, then I failed and wound up in summer school. Which makes it hard when you need the bases from that class to move onto the next class. Summer school is a joke too, never really learned anything that was taught during the regular school year.

Take what up with the counselor? That she wants to be able to misspell words and use poor grammar and not have it count against her? If the student needs help with those skills, then they should seek out help for her, but not expect the school or the "old hag" to overlook the mistakes.

 

[Magic Mom]

No sympathy from my. Spelling, grammar and punctuation SHOULD count. Poor lady - having a co-worker call her an "Old Hag" just for doing her job. Being a teacher is rough. You would think you would know better.

Absolutely! It's no wonder the teacher responded less than pleasantly.

 

[ShesAPirate]

By freshman year, I really feel spelling and grammar should be expected in any course. That's the whole purpose of learning those subjects in the earlier grades, so they can apply those skills in everything as they get older.

I really feel complaining to the teacher was out of line.

Amen, and amen to the other posters who share this sentiment. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. A high school freshman is not too young to be held accountable for spelling and grammatical errors. I wish there were more teachers like this so-called "old hag".

 

[Hannathy]

I'm sitting here in disbelief that a High school student's Mommy went and talked to the teacher over a very minor thing!!!! HIGH SCHOOL!

High school students should be handling their own correspondence with the teachers. Especially over a homework grade.

Wow.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I am quite tired today and I think my spidey-sense may be off, but does anyone else get the feeling that the OP will not be back?

 

[cornflake]

However, if the teacher told the students that spelling and grammar would count on every assignment, then I think the grading is fair. I've encountered way too many high school and even college graduates who have poor writing skills.

This!

I was wary of reading the responses because my response to the OP was to think the bio teacher was right on. Especially if it's enough to take off 20 points worth (which I'm assuming is 1/5 of the points possible).

If it was like 'she took off 10 points for not having a comma in one sentence' or 'took off 10 points for not capitalizing one word' I could see finding it over the top - not that I'd think the parent should complain regardless, if she doesn't like her grade, she can go ask about it. But there are multiple things listed and no indication that she'd been overreaching on how much she took off, just mad that she took off for grammar and spelling?

I don't think that at that age where kids are still learning to write that it is such a bad idea for all the teachers to count off to some degree for such errors. Written communication is important for almost all subjects, and not just English.

Still learning to write? She's in high school, I think she should be expected to be competent in writing in her native language. Next year she'll be taking the PSATs, which have an entire grammar section.

 

[ferris198]

Me thinks OP is a gym teacher, whose main goal is to make sure the kids get the ball in the net or hoop.
Otherwise he/she would realize the importance of grammar and punctuation.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a teacher thinking these writing skills shouldn't pertain to homework. They should pertain to all work.

 

[luvmythree]

As a former teacher I cringe at the thought of you going in and telling a coworker off for doing her JOB! I sometimes wonder if getting out of education was a good idea, and then I read these types of threads and KNOW it was the right idea for me.

Seriously? How did you even keep a straight face? I cannot believe you called her an "old hag". And I cannot imagine any teacher not realizing that grammar is very important and your student SHOULD know correct grammar by High School.

 

[dis-happy]

My dd's about to graduate with a Biology-BS degree and of course proper grammar, spelling and punctuation were required, not only on papers that were submitted but in her lab books as well. (plus, they had to learn how to properly spell all those difficult Latin words!).

If you consider high school classes to be college prep, then go back and thank that teacher!!!

 

[tomthebarncat]

Since when did grammar disappear from the public school program? grammar is a means of communication. Let it go and know that your daughter got the grade she deserved. As an educator you should know this, and shame on you for verbally assaulting the teacher over this grades are earned they are not given!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Good for your daughter's teacher.

Spelling was not an easy subject for me (still isn't for that matter) and the only reason I am even somewhat good at it is because all of my teachers expected my assignments to be spelled correctly, not just my English teacher.

Last year my daughter's 4th grade teacher had spelling and grammar count for 20% of the assignments total score. It took my daughter a long time to figure it out but she now works hard to make sure everything is spelled correctly before handing in an assignment...she got really sick of getting Cs on all her assignments

 

[Disneyadore]

You do realize the school year only just started and you already gave you're daughter a "bad" name for the rest of the whole year.
I would talk to the other teacher and apologizes on my knees for "bad mommy bear behavior".

 

[beaucoup]

I cringe wondering if today's teachers think the same as OP. I sure hope not.

My high school age nephew cannot spell some pretty basic words. Allowed he spells as aloud for example. Just terrible. And his mother is a teacher. I really wonder why she allows this as I thought she was better than that.

 

[kellyg403]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a teacher thinking these writing skills shouldn't pertain to homework. They should pertain to all work.

 

[Michelle67]

Okay I don't want to beat you up, but...when I was a junior and senior in college I still heard people asking professors, "Does spelling count?" YES, SPELLING COUNTS! I'm sorry for your frustration, but writing skills are not for English class only. She may as well get used to it now. Even if she opts not to go to college, writing skills will matter when her boss wants a written report, they will matter when she writes a resume, they will matter if she needs to write a business letter...you get my drift.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

I'm curious as to what the child's complaint to the counselor would be. My teacher expects me to use proper punctuation, grammar and know when to use a capital letter? The horror. I think she'd be better up boning up on her English skills or proof reading.

** Note: I double checked my spelling of "grammar". **

I have to agree with you. I know that the teacher is teaching a science class but how could she grade your daughter's work if the she/he cannot really understand it? I think complaining to the school is just unneeded hassle when there isn't a problem here.

 

[goofyshell]

I totally agree that spelling and grammar should count.
I would also like to say that I think letting teachers/other school employees choose their children's teachers is a perk they should have. I won't jump on my soapbox about how underpaid and overworked teachers are and how thankless the job can be. No, I'm not a teacher and I'm not married to one. But I know lots of good ones and I never begrudge them the perks they do have (like choosing teachers). If you are a teacher, thank you.