Telling the Truth
In an odd case in Texas, teachers won the right to give students the grades that they earned, no matter how low a failing grade might be.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas law requires that students receive truthful grades on their work. Eleven school districts challenged the law:
The school districts — most of them in Harris County – argued that the law applied only to grades on assignments, noting that the statute didn’t specifically mention report cards, semester grades, or six- or nine-week averages.
But state District Judge Gisela Triana-Doyal ruled that the statute is “not ambiguous” and clearly means districts cannot require teachers to give students grades they did not earn. The bill’s author, Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, has said she intended it to apply to all grades.
The school districts argue that they don’t want failing kids to get discouraged:
The districts argued that their policies prohibiting teachers from awarding grades lower than a certain number – typically a 50 – helped keep students from getting discouraged and dropping out of school.
Without the policy, Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Greg Smith, said, “I think you close the light at the end of the tunnel for some students.”
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) was on the side of the angels this time:
But the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, which intervened in the case on the side of the state, countered that the minimum failing grading polices were dishonest and didn’t prepare students for college or the workforce.
“I feel like it’s unethical,” testified Mary Roberts, a teacher in Humble ISD.
Harris County, home to most of the school districts involved in this case, is the third most populous county in the country. It includes Houston, the largest city in Texas. Lying to kids about their grades is never a good thing, but in this case it seems to be directed at the minority kids who need extra help to be successful.
Harris County grew by 14%– which is a lot–between the years 2000 and 2006. The Hispanic population increased by more than 120,000.
More than 40% of Harris County students are minority kids and nearly a third speak Spanish as their first language. More than 20% of the kids in the county live in poverty. Two out of five drop out of high school.
These are the kids that the much-maligned No Child Left Behind was designed –however imperfectly–to guarantee a proper education. Lying to them about their progress and achievement won’t accomplish that.
This might not be the end of the controversy though:
Richard Morris, the attorney for the school districts, said he would ask his clients whether they wanted to appeal the decision or to try to lobby for a change in the next Legislative session.
