Mamacita says: I have never understood the utter gall and entitlement mindset of some parents. At the end of each grading period, these same parents would be storming the school, demanding a few extra points so Lil’ Bubba or Lil’ Miz Fancypants would be eligible to play ball or cheer or be promoted to the next level or jack that grade up a notch so he/she can be in the AP class with his/her friends, all this without doing any actual WORK that would deserve such.
“I’m benched because Mr. Justice failed me.” Excuse me? You’re benched because you failed yourself. Mr. Justice was just the scorekeeper, Lil’ Bubba.
If, during a basketball game, a parent came charging down out of the bleachers and demanded of the scorekeeper that Bubba get points because he tried so hard, the entire gym would rock with derisive laughter, well-earned. Why should Bubba get points when he didn’t earn any points? He shouldn’t, that’s what. To demand partial credit for a ball that didn’t go through the hoop would be ridiculous. Absurd. Laughable. Stupid.
And the same should go for the classroom.
Yes, some students do better than others. Some students are endowed with more brains or more physical prowess. Let these students get the points they so rightly earn. Is it unfair that other students, no matter how hard they try, just can’t seem to get the ball through the hoop? I don’t think “fair” even enters into the picture! Life can be hard, and we all have different strong points. To insist that anyone of any age in any category or capacity be given the gift of points or credit or rewards, etc, for something not rightfully earned is a slap in the face to those who DO earn their points. When everybody wins, nobody wins. When people who don’t earn it, get it anyway, it’s a monumentally gross unfairness to those who genuinely did earn it.
Self esteem, you argue? I call bullshit on that one. Do adults really believe a kid doesn’t know the difference between an earned award and a compensatory parental fantasy award? Nobody is fooled except the adults. Many’s the time I’ve overheard raucous laughter in the restroom after an awards program, because Bubba’s parents were beaming in the bleachers over his foot-high “way to show up!” trophy.
To quote Mandy Patinkin, “Let me sum up.”
A grade that wasn’t honestly earned is worthless and everybody knows it. A parent who goes to school and demands extra credit or some kind of freebie is a bad parent. Extra credit is for students who did the original credit and want some EXTRA. Extra credit is not “in place of” credit. Students who don’t do the work don’t deserve the points. If the student is in Cancun when the midterm exam is given, the student gets a zero on the exam. Must be present to win.
If the ball doesn’t actually go through the hoop, no points are earned. Period.
Not fair? Not FAIR? Fair is just compensation for actual work done. Fair is not freebies, or pity points, or political points. Either the student does it, or he/she does not.
And those school corporations that are now forbidding the oft-earned grade of ZERO? Those schools who require all zeros to be recorded as 60%?
Those schools are administered by idiots.
“But, but, a student can’t RECOVER from a zero!”
Then the student should have worked harder to get some points. It’s all the student’s fault. Life is full of choices.
You work out, you practice hard, and maybe the ball will go through the hoop. You goof off, you show up when you feel like it, and the ball will probably not. If your mommy makes a scene and demands credit for points not earned, Mommy is a nutjob. An administration that caves and forces the teacher/coach to make a gift of earned points to any student for any reason is a bad, bad, incompetent administration.
I would fight to the death for my children. I would lie down in the road for them. I would offer myself to the fire for them. But I would never insist they be given points for something they didn’t do or deserve. We are entitled only to those things we have earned.
Earn it or don’t get it. Period.
Bah. I’m in a mood.
