For the past year Portland Public Schools has currently been under control of unethical Administrators and teachers are being over ruled. It is early September and a bomb has just been dropped on the students of Portland Public District.This year a new online grading system has been rolled out called, “Grade Book.” This authorizes parents to check students’ grades. The catch is this system does not include D grades; this was decided by the district. This year 2010-11, it’s only voluntary and not all teachers are using it. I can see why we would like to keep this grade, not everyone can put in 100%, due to the fact that everyone lives their own life through struggles and obstacles. One teacher for example that isn’t using the system is Mr. Demaris, whom states.
“I have my own system and it’s worked for years” Also “I like to pass my students, if D’s are taken off there needs to be a compromise such as some percentage of a D grade thrown on as a C”
I could also understand why we could need to drop the D grades. It is relevant that today’s universities do not admit D grades on transcripts. Although this can be irrelevant because, some parents just hope for there kids to graduate high school.
US history teacher Mr. Ryan and I had a very pleasant conversation about this new system in which he helped me understand. He claims that although the system is voluntary at the moment, he believes that with time everyone will start to use it and then be forced to if not. Mr. Ryan I quote expressed his opinion.
“I think its ridiculous, the district recognizes a letter “D” grade figured into a students GPA . . . the system contradicts that if D’s are taken off.” A couple of minutes later he added that “D’s and F’s are a big difference; a D is like a fair warning that a student needs to whip into shape, but it also shows that he or she is trying.”
By Mid September an email had been past through a cycle of teachers discussing the D grades on how some agree and disagreed. Furthermore in early October, D grades were put back on the system. This information was received from Social Studies teacher Mr. Weiner whom says he likes the new system, that it is easier to load up grades and it shows trends on how students are doing. On the other hand Social studies teacher Mr. Ryan whom still has not gotten around to getting familiar with it says he will begin by next semester. As he had predicted before, all teacher will “HAVE TO USE THE NEW SYSTEM BY NEXT FALL”. As we got further into our chit-chat it was clear that he was glad D’s were put back up, and finished up by saying
“I can't believe it took so much time to push it, when a tech guy probably only took 15 minutes to adjust the system.”
I feel that if you don't graduate high school, it is because you don't deserve circular. As I said before I understand everyone lives there own life and all is different. But if you’re trying to get over the struggles and the obstacles, why not overpass another 20% to aim at least for that “C” that gives an opportunity of going to a university? I have to say, I'm not the best student and its my last year of High School, and on my transcript Ds exist. I'd like to think, that maybe if this rule had applied to me sophomore year I would have pushed myself more, because for most students it's not about being able to do it because we are all capable but about how were in our time of adolescence, me being one of them. I have this mentality that school is not for everyone but, that doesn’t mean just because you don't like high school you won’t like college. This is why it could have been a good idea to drop the D grades just because the opportunity will always be there if later in your life, you decide to change your mind.
-Laura M Ramirez
