Teacher asking for Yankee candles/test.....Update Pg 12 #168

[krcit]

Just when I think I have heard everything!! Unbelievable. There has to be some sort of explanation, doesn't there?? I don't care if I had a million dollars, I would never, ever buy my kid a grade!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

This all seems bizarre. Is there any chance that she is actually doing something good with these candles? Like maybe there is some sort of need for these candles? I know it seems crazy, but I can't imagine why a teacher would put it out there like that and not be worried about risking their job.

Perhaps you should come right out and ask her what the candles are for. I would want to know. You can just send a kind email and ask what she will be using the candles for? A school project? Holiday gifts for those less fortunate? There's gotta be an answer, don't you think?

Who cares what the candles are for? It's bribery and extortion, plain and simple.

Here's the thing...

For good grades, work hard and do well.

For good causes, ask for donations.

Period.

 

[teacups]

I would ask her what they are for.
And I would call some other parents in the class who are like minded.
Discuss this with Principal as a group and no one kid should "feel" it for the rest of the year.

Wow. Thats all I can say.

 

[alexandria674]

Not to detract from the subject (teacher was wrong by the way)but don't you get really sick from mono and stay in bed for a while? (a friend of mine had it)

 

[barkley]

beyond the ethical and potentialy illegal aspects of this situation i would be informing the principal because this teacher's actions could bring into question the validity of the grades/credit a highschool student is receiving.

(at least where we are and where i went to highschool) grades from 10th-12th go into making up the overall g.p.a. for a student which can determine weather they gain admittance to national honor societies, certain elite or honors courses, are considered for valedictorian and ultimatly the colleges they wish to attend. a student whose teacher is clearly violating grading and credit assigning protocol (and i can't fathom this does not) could find that their entire grade and credit for the course is called into question. it would be similar to something my dh experienced in highschool-he transferred from a highly thought of and accredited private school to the public school. both required an 'identical' course because it was a state graduation requirement. the public school, however, upon looking to the course he had taken at the private school found it did'nt quite meet the state's criteria (something about a certain instructional area had to include testing criteria in order for the student to meet the requirement that they had 'demonstrated' their knowledge base in it-the private school flaked on testing for that specific area during the course, they previously had tested for it but at some point a teacher tweeked the course a bit not realizing the necessity of retaining that one test). as a result the grade/credit was'nt acceptable and dh had to re-take the course.

in a course like french which would many students take in highschool to whack out their 2 years of a required foreign language for college it could be tragic if their grade/credit was later nullified (when kids get to their jr. and sr. years at dd's highschool they have VERY LITTLE latitude to pick up a course they had'nt planned to a year or more in advance).


the other issue i see is what this teacher is 'teaching' the students-that grades can be bought or raised by virtue of gifting the teacher. this would be a major issue for me-and i believe it would violate dd's student ethics code (if they were to ever consider proposing this to a teacher). as it stands many districts have banned any kind of grading/credit associated with student participation in fund raising activities to ensure that grades and credit are strictly assigned based on student academic performance vs. a financial aspect.

the kids i feel truly sorry for are those who look up to teachers like this and presume that because the teacher says it's o.k. to do it it it is-they never question it or confer with their parents. some of these kids will buy these candles on their own or get their parents to buy them (not fully informing them of the situation-parents might assume as others have on this thread that the candles are for charity and have no correlation to grades). the kids become participants in what is clearly ethicaly improper and potentialy an act that may endanger them academicaly.

op-please let us know what you decide and what happens.

 

[lovetoscrap]

We have teachers here that will offer a few points on a grade or a free homework pass for participation in certain charitable activities. For instance my DD will get 5 points in French if she participates in paying a $2 donation that allows her to wear a costume to school on Friday (middle school). One teacher offeres a free homework pass to all the kids in her class that participate in the PTA Reflections contest.

I think this is what I would send back to the teacher:

Dear Ms X,

Thank you for your quick response to my email. I am still a bit confused on this matter. Are these candles being donated to a particular cause the school is participating in?

I am not sure I am comfortable allowing my child to earn academic credit unless it is related to his coursework. Is there another option for him to earn the same extra credit points that involves what they are working on in your French class?
Thanks for you time!

OR I would approach the principal by asking what cause the school is participating in that needs stinky candles!

Dear Principal,

I was surprised to hear that the Mrs. Soandso is collecting Yankee Candles and is giving extra test credit to the students that bring them in. I haven't seen any communication home about this collection but we may be intersted in helping. Can you tell me how these candles are being used and what organization will benefit from them?

Thanks so much!

 

[barkley]

Who cares what the candles are for? It's bribery and extortion, plain and simple.

Here's the thing...

For good grades, work hard and do well.

For good causes, ask for donations.

Period.

at the private school ds attends as well as the public school dd attends no solicitations for charity by a student and esp. a teacher/staff member can occur unless the school has formaly authorized it. they discourage it with teachers spec. because they don't want to even give the impression that grades could be influenced by a child/parent's participation/non participation.

 

[terri01p]

À moins que votre fils ne peut lire le présent et le dire, je voudrais acheter cette bougie. hehe....suppose to say unless your son can read this and say it you better buy that candle....hehehe

 

[cruisnfamily]

We've had teachers offer +1 or +2 points on a test grade for a box of tissues. This was when they were really desperate I assume because every week in the newsletter it also asks for donations of tissues and other like items but there is never a mention of extra credit in the weekly newsletters, it's just something some teachers will occasionally do on their own.

I've never thought about it in this light and now I wonder whether or not I should have allowed my children to bring tissues on those days. Water under the bridge at this point but I will think on this in case it comes up again.

Thanks for sharing your story as it made me think about this situation differently.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

So what, exactly does extortion smell like?

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Not to detract from the subject (teacher was wrong by the way)but don't you get really sick from mono and stay in bed for a while? (a friend of mine had it)

That is what I thought too - My son had been complaining of a headache and being tired all week and it wasn't until friday that he started a fever. I took him to the Dr because we have to have a Dr's note when they are out and I wanted to be sure he wasn't coming down with the flu. I was quite surprised when the Dr wanted to test him for mono and the blood test came out positive. She did say that there have been mild cases of mono going around the area right now and she has seen alot of it. I thought it would be alot worse then it was too.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

À moins que votre fils ne peut lire le présent et le dire, je voudrais acheter cette bougie. hehe....suppose to say unless your son can read this and say it you better buy that candle....hehehe

 

[hegsag]

We've had teachers offer +1 or +2 points on a test grade for a box of tissues. This was when they were really desperate I assume because every week in the newsletter it also asks for donations of tissues and other like items but there is never a mention of extra credit in the weekly newsletters, it's just something some teachers will occasionally do on their own.

I've never thought about it in this light and now I wonder whether or not I should have allowed my children to bring tissues on those days. Water under the bridge at this point but I will think on this in case it comes up again.

Thanks for sharing your story as it made me think about this situation differently.

I would have no problem having my child bring in tissues that will be used in the classroom...I'm sure they go thru tons of tissues. BUT a candle? Sounds like she is building up her Christmas list presents at the expense of others...

 

[Linzybrooke]

I have an update this morning. I will say that this teacher did promptly answer my email first thing this morning.

In her reply she stated that my son did receive the group grade for their presentation and the candle thing is not for this project BUT it is a over all extra credit opportunity for the whole class if they want the extra credit. So for extra credit she is offereing this....

Extra Credit - bring in by Nov 2nd

1 large yankee candle = 2 test grades
1 med Yankee candle = 1 test grade
1 small Yankee candle = removal of lowest grade

I am just stunned that she thinks it is ok to offer extra credit test grades for candles. I haven't replied to her yet but I will be calling the principal to make him aware of what is going on in this class room. I asked my son again and he still says that she told the class that anyone absent on friday needed to do this if they wanted to make their grade up.

This is just strange to me. I teach high school, and I offer extra credit opportunities similar to this, but here is the reasoning behind it. First and foremost, my students and their parents are made aware of these opportunities when they arise, and they are made aware of what organizations are benefitting from their contributions. For example, our campus holds a soldier box drive, food drive and angel tree each year. When these opportunities come up I send an email to the parents and a note home with each kid letting them know what is occuring and the items that are needed, where the items will be sent, the timeline etc. Typically each drive is sponsored by a specific class period, and is a campus contest where the class that wins gets something like a lunch catered in by a local restaurant, so the students are getting something back for their contributions as well. I offer a specific amount of extra credit, like 1 point for each item they contribute up to 20 total points, and the total amount will go towards their test grades. However, it does not ever excuse a test grade, and I imagine if I offered it as such I would be putting my job in jeopardy.

So, I guess what I am saying is that I sort of understand her offering some extra credit, but with no indictation of who the candles are going to, not stating that it is a school sponsored drive, and allowing the students to completely replace grades by purchasing her candles...I just don't understand where she is trying to go with this assignment. I would be asking for clarification, and if she cannot provide appropriate clarification I would be letting her know that the administration was going to be made aware of the situation.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I agree and I am going to go further just trying to decide how to do it. I am checking the handbook now to see if there is anything listed in there about situations like this. I am considering replying to her email to explain calmly why it is not acceptable and to ask what the candles are for before going to the principal but I do think the principal does need to be aware of the extra credit issue in this class and I will be contacting him just trying to decide the best way first - if I should go straight to him or reply to her email first.

I would send the teacher an email with your concerns, ask questions as to why or for whom the candles are for, and if it is against policy to buy a grade. I would BCC (blind carbon copy) the principal. Good Luck!

 

[Ilivetogo]

Oh man ... this IS wrong. It brings me back to my junior high school days when my nasty old Algebra teacher used to give extra credit to the cheerleaders on the days when they wore their cheerleading outfits.

 

[Jennasis]

MAn I'm in trouble...when one of my riding students falls off of their horse during a lesson, they have to bake me a pan of brownies (or cookies).

Of course, I also have a "rule" that if they fall off and land on their feet, I have to bake something for them. I've both baked and received many a tray of brownies.

 

[MaumeeMom]

I have an update this morning. I will say that this teacher did promptly answer my email first thing this morning.

In her reply she stated that my son did receive the group grade for their presentation and the candle thing is not for this project BUT it is a over all extra credit opportunity for the whole class if they want the extra credit. So for extra credit she is offereing this....

Extra Credit - bring in by Nov 2nd

1 large yankee candle = 2 test grades
1 med Yankee candle = 1 test grade
1 small Yankee candle = removal of lowest grade

I am just stunned that she thinks it is ok to offer extra credit test grades for candles. I haven't replied to her yet but I will be calling the principal to make him aware of what is going on in this class room. I asked my son again and he still says that she told the class that anyone absent on friday needed to do this if they wanted to make their grade up.

Wow! That is unbelievable!

If you just want the candle issue to be stopped, just forward the email the principal and say, "Hey, are you aware this is going on?" Let the principal follow up instead of you getting involved in the candle issue at all.

If you want to make a point with the teacher, email her back and say, "We would prefer that our son receive extra credit for activities related to the coursework. What extra credit opportunities are there in place if he should need to earn that?"

Those are both short, sweet, and to the point, and they relieve you of having to get more involved than I think you want to be.

I like this response to the teacher.

MAn I'm in trouble...when one of my riding students falls off of their horse during a lesson, they have to bake me a pan of brownies (or cookies).

Of course, I also have a "rule" that if they fall off and land on their feet, I have to bake something for them. I've both baked and received many a tray of brownies.

Cute!

OP: Good luck, I hope that you can get this worked out soon and I'm glad that your DS is feeling better.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

MAn I'm in trouble...when one of my riding students falls off of their horse during a lesson, they have to bake me a pan of brownies (or cookies).

Of course, I also have a "rule" that if they fall off and land on their feet, I have to bake something for them. I've both baked and received many a tray of brownies.

I think you are fine. That's more of a consequence. You're not giving them secret pixie dust to keep them glued to the saddle.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

This is just strange to me. I teach high school, and I offer extra credit opportunities similar to this, but here is the reasoning behind it. First and foremost, my students and their parents are made aware of these opportunities when they arise, and they are made aware of what organizations are benefitting from their contributions. For example, our campus holds a soldier box drive, food drive and angel tree each year. When these opportunities come up I send an email to the parents and a note home with each kid letting them know what is occuring and the items that are needed, where the items will be sent, the timeline etc. Typically each drive is sponsored by a specific class period, and is a campus contest where the class that wins gets something like a lunch catered in by a local restaurant, so the students are getting something back for their contributions as well. I offer a specific amount of extra credit, like 1 point for each item they contribute up to 20 total points, and the total amount will go towards their test grades. However, it does not ever excuse a test grade, and I imagine if I offered it as such I would be putting my job in jeopardy.

You had me until the part about PAYING the students WITH GRADES for doing "charity". Whatever happened to charity coming from the heart, without expectations of rewards like UPPING THEIR GRADES.

Extra credit, History...write a report on WWII, go to Ellis Island, interview a veteran, attend a ceremony honoring veterans...not bring in something the kid's mother picked up at the store and handed to her kid to bring to school. Unbelievable. I'm flabbergasted.