Oh, the Irony of it!

Helena was selected as a Student of the Month at her high school!  She was chosen by her digital photo teacher because she tied with another boy for the highest test score on the standardized exam the state CTE department (Career and Tech. Ed) administers at the end of the course.

Here is why that is ironic...

That teacher flunked Helena for the first term!

Yup.  Helena lost that .25 credit.  She did get an 'A' for the second term, however.

You know, back in the day, the two terms averaged out and you received the .5 credit.  They don't do that anymore.  At least, not here.  Each term stands alone on the podium.  So, if you flunk a term, you lose the credit.

I don't want to steal Helena's thunder.  I think it is fantastic that she was selected for this recognition, and the prize of a reserved prime parking spot for the month is awesome, too!

But, let me talk about that 'F' for a moment, and what it signifies.

I check the kids grades once a week.  They earn $ for 'A's' and I pay weekly.

Her first term grade in digital photo was a 'B' all the way through the term... until the final week.  You see, the teacher sat on her grading and did not get 'caught up' until just before the end of the term.  That is when both she and I found out that Helena had not been turning in her assignments!

Don't get me wrong.  Of course it was Helena's fault for not doing the work.

But how can this teacher call herself an educator and student mentor if she doesn't even know that she has a failing student?!  How can I know to intervene in my daughter's life with all the stuff a mom is supposed to do if I don't have up to date information from the school?

Which just got me thinking off on a tangent.  How did we all survive before online grades?!  My parents only ever saw my grades at mid-term and term end.

Anyways.  This is just part of the overall problems I have with the high school here.  I have gone to parent/teacher conferences and found that only 3 of her 8 teachers were actually there to conference.  I have had teachers admit to me that they aren't sure who my daughter is because they can't remember all of their students by name.  OK, fine.  I get that.  I do have 1,100 students of my own, after all, and I can't remember them all by name either.  But don't you think you should know my daughter by name since she is currently struggling in your class?

You are probably wondering why I don't go screaming down to the administration about how things were handled in term 1 such that my daughter was 'allowed' to fail.  Well, 1) it is ultimately Helena's fault that she failed the term.  The teacher wasn't a very good teacher, but it was Helena's job to get the work in.  2) And, more importantly, this is the only digital photo teacher at the school and Helena has signed up for the Advanced Photo class with her next year.  On the teacher's recommendation.  No sense making an enemy of someone who will be in a position of power over Helena's grades in her senior year!