Thursday, July 09, 2015

Grade Fixing Is A Major Deal


DeBlasio thinks grade fixing is no big deal, Well, if he saw what I see in the community college, he would change his mind quickly.  I have been teaching mathematics at a community College since 2003.  In only 12 years I have seen the caliber of our students go down dramatically.  Students, not all as we do have many fine ones,  are coming in who cannot work with fractions, who cannot divide and do not even know multiplication tables.  These same students brag about passing regents exams and doing well in high school.  I have seen students who refuse to buy books or even use the free ones in the laboratory and library.  Many never do homework and don't know the meaning of the word study.  They got a free ride in high school and expect that ride to continue into college. They expect extra credit, grade forgiveness and grade curving.  They are totally unprepared for college or for much else.  Grade scrubbing improves high school graduation rates but it does nothing to prepare students for college and for life.  In fact, it hurts them infinitely more than a failing grade ever could.  As someone who has taught both on the high school and college level, I urge the Mayor to take this grade fixing seriously and do something to fix it.  Fixing it is all about the future of our city.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a sad state of affairs. Unless some accountability is put on students, society as a whole will suffer greatly. I think there's been a general decline in NYC since DeBlasio became mayor. The schools as a whole are much worse. Cell phones, student threats and assaults and a union that will do anything to accommodate a clueless mayor. The only thing we can do is keep fighting the good fight.

Anonymous said...

Grade fixing stems from danielson, quality reviews and all accountability! Everyone wants to be the BEST, yet everyone has forgotten the child before us. Administrators, teachers and students cheat. No one wants to work anymore It is an entitlement society and has to be stopped.