Teacher union contends grade policy is illegal

A local teachers' union has filed a class-action grievance with the El Paso Independent School District to protest a grading policy it contends violates state law.

[o0rangeo]

What happend to A, B, C, D, F-lunk and repeat the grade?

[The Foot Clan]

Lets lower our standards, that is exactly why we are still on stop.

[rules versus reality]

The government wants everyone to pass no matter what the situation. We need a reality check in order to understand the importance of education. What is happening now is against the integrity of all of the teachers who want quality in the classroom. At this point, just give all students an "A" and quit grading papers. And, oh yeah, the teachers should quit caring about their jobs and their students. Just get their paychecks and go home and leave it up to the government to decide what grade a student deserves. Once the teachers have no authority in the classroom, all is lost anyway.

[Needs vs Wants]

Mommy and Daddy have told me I am a special person since I was a baby. If you give me a low grade it will lower my self esteem. Please do not do that because it will hurt my feelings.

[No Horse Left Behind]

It is akin to Bush's policy of "no child left behind." It's sort of like making silk purses out of sow's ears: It's easier said than done.

It's akin to the Commnity Reinvestment Act(>ACORN Commnity Organizers>Jimmy Carter > Barack Obama) that turned banks into liberal democrat institutions where anyone can get a lone, good credit rating or not; bank insolvency bedamned!

It's akin to the Marxist principle of taking from each according to his ability and giving to each according to his need.

"It crosses the law of (natural) selection..."
--Nietzsche.

[No Horse Left Behind]

It is akin to Bush's policy of "no child left behind." It's sort of like making silk purses out of sow's ears: It's easier said than done.
It's akin to the Community Reinvestment Act(>ACORN Community Organizers>Jimmy Carter > Barack Obama) that turned banks into liberal democrat institutions where anyone can get a loan, good credit rating or not; bank insolvency be-damned!
It's akin to the Marxist principle of taking from each according to his ability and giving to each according to his need.
"It crosses the law of (natural) selection..."
--Nietzsche.

[Cherry Smith]

What ever happened to grading on merit and work done???
Receiving an F never hurt anyone if they didn't do the work.... and schools should STOP mandatory passing of students just so they stay with their peers.... if you do the work and it deserves an A you get an A, if you didn't do it you get an F, no effort was put forth so you get a grade depicting that.... NO wonder Johnny/Janie have to have their mommy or daddy fill out their job applications for them.....THe Educators need to quit treating these kids like babies, the kids need to be held accountable and responsible for their actions (schoolwork) and if they aren't they need to suffer the consequences... No IF AND'S or BUT'S !!!!!!!!!!

[Amazed]

The kids of today are being allowed a free ride. I am starting to see the results of Johnny & Jane being handed everything on a silver platter.

Johnny & Jane are now entering the workforce & are causing challenges for the "mature" worker who was raised the right way! They expect the employer to ignore their issues, just as the teachers are expected to pass them!

[1000 pushups and counting]

it all goes back to the home...

parents that don't care, have kids that don't care.

[Rey]

ALL great comments. This doesnt prepare children for the realities of life. Very simple, not everyone can be an expert or perfect and expect tripping along the way. Just do your best and be the best at what you do.

Let's get the school boards and teachers back to the 3 R's and stop the social experiments.

[What a Joke]

Huh - being abset 29% of the time is O.K. Huh - turning in 31% of assignments is O.K. What a bunch of crap is this.

This is how Garcia keeps his high paying job - allowing kids to fail. What a joke EISD is if this is the policy for teaching children.

How about we only give Garcia 50% of his salary for allowing children to only be educated 50%. Better yet, how about we throw people like Garcia out on his ear and get a real Teacher in the Superintendents chair.

[Bird]

Students should get the grade they earn. Quit encouraging mediocrity in our schools as some form of socialist reform. Outlaw teachers unions!

[Union Teacher]

Bird wrote:

Students should get the grade they earn. Quit encouraging mediocrity in our schools as some form of socialist reform. Outlaw teachers unions!

It is the Union that is trying to end this rewarding mediocrity.

[A Question]

Not sure what "Bird" is saying. The Teachers Union is the entity fighting the School Board and Superintendent to stop this Failing Policy.

Lets stop giving Supts such large salaries for doing a bad job and then allowing a School Board to shield their mess from the public. They demand lots of Tax dollars, lets demands honest results from our schools.

This 50% grade requirement is just another sign of systemic corruption in allowing our governmental systems to get paid high salaries, tax us to death and then do little to meet the requirements of their position. As it is, these people act like Kings, now we find out they are treating us like peons.

[Chimichanga]

Needs vs Wants wrote:

Mommy and Daddy have told me I am a special person since I was a baby. If you give me a low grade it will lower my self esteem. Please do not do that because it will hurt my feelings.

I had to give a 50 to a kid that was only in school for 7 days during the first six weeks. The rest of the time he was truant. He did 1 assignment out of 14. But, I am sure that he feels good about himself. I don't want to be responsible for him growing up to be maladjusted, not liking himself, or feeling sad. Oh wait, somebody beat me to it.
The schools are more worried that he feel good about himself that whether he learns anything or not.
Our lovely superintendent has just recently told us that the policy will stay in place.

[Give you the Bird]

Bird wrote:

Students should get the grade they earn. Quit encouraging mediocrity in our schools as some form of socialist reform. Outlaw teachers unions!

Hey Bird, are you a product of the EPISD? Jeez!
If you would have read and understood the story, its the teachers union who is fighting to do away with allowing students to "earn" a 50 even if they did not do the work. This is the stench of the TEA attemping to abide by the New Child Left Behind policy that Bush implemented as the Governor of Texas. It work so while in Texas, he forced the entire educational sysemt in the country to follow these polices and if you school district did not, guess what? No federal or state money for you!!!

[ggsamj]

In the movie Devil's Advocate, Al Pacino proclaimed that lawyers were the new priesthood. This debate and many others just typifies the culture we have allowed to be created in which every action, consequence and dialog is dependent upon legal review and decision. Not to mention the cost of all of this nonsense. Like others have said whatever happened to student and parent accountability? Whatever happened to teacher competence? All of this has been abandoned in favor of having today's priesthood decide this for all of us and not to act until told to do so. For those that doubt this please check the "profession" of our state and national senators, representatives, and in the case of Mr Obama our president. It is time for a reformation movement, like the one that changed the dominance of the church in everyones life earlier in our western history.

[I wonder]

So, if a student that is struggling to do the best they can will get the same grade as a student that does not participate in school at all. I have noticed that many young people in the work force today do not have a work ethic at all. I wonder why? No more free rides. Part of education is learning how to be responsible.

[P Pantera]

This is the product of the Federal Government and their horrible standards in education. let the teachers teach and determine if a student is worthy of passing!

[EPcynic]

Never thought I would be on the same side of an issue as a teachers union, but when your right your right. If this idiotic grading system becomes mandated, I think teachers should just hand out a grade of 100% to every student for every assignment.