This is NOT ACCEPTABLE
Please re post
Subject: Winter Eligibility
Reply-To: Anne MacNeil <amacneil@hvrhs.org>
Just a reminder, Quarter 2 will end this Friday, Jan 26. When report cards are distributed on Feb 13, many (over 50%) of the current winter student athletes will not be eligible based on the new grading policy. This will cause forfeits of games and ultimately seasons for many of our teams. Please speak with your student athlete. Please contact their teachers and ask what’s going. Please help keep our students playing. Thank you for your support.
This is OUR high school….this is MY high school….this is DISGUSTING, this is UNACCEPTABLE. Contact our board, contact the administration. What the hell is going on in our beloved Housatonic. Our superintendent has a lot of explaining to do. It is time, if this email is true to make big changes.Shat was once a GOLD standard is now SUB standard. DEMAND ACTION.
Looks like reality has finally come to Housy… Now,,,you get what you earned…..The real world has set in.
I must add,,because I was one of those students that had learning problems,,,,,what did it teach me? If I wanted it bad enough I had to learn how to learn, and work harder for what I wanted. Believe me it was hard!!! But I thank my teachers for rideing me so hard so I felt better when I knew,,,,,,I earned what I got,,,thanks to the teachers i found my way of learning. This will all come to pass when we stick to our guns and students and parents understand, this is the way it is . Students will be better citizens for it. Guaranteed.
The problem with Mr. Gould’s statement is that we don’t have a fair comparison as to how the new grading system lines up with the old one in terms of determination of “grades”. That could be very difficult to do as no grades are given now, only proficency levels. I’m not at all certain that teachers are comfortable with what they have been TOLD to do regarding grading and it certaining appears that they, as important stakeholders, were not even given a seat at the table to discuss this change. It seems to me that this initiative was put place and mandated to be done without any consideration that changes like this take time and should be incremental. I feel certain that teachers have not been given all the pertinent and necessary information to make this change totally successful. I think that we also have to find out if in previous years what percentage of students were ineligible and if it was this high. I think the “new” grading practices do not give students the incentive to do well. If this was to be implemented it should have been done with more care and over a longer period of time.
My student is among those lost amidst this new structure. We have contacted the board. We have contacted the administration. We have been in contact with teachers. None of these “stakeholders” are on the same page. While all
express an interest in helping my student- none have put forth any effort. All seem happy with the turmoil and have a frightening willingness to place blame on others. High School has been a nightmare as my student has been caught in the middle of the Region’s academic confusion and in-fighting.
I feel guilty- but at this point I am hoping this New England accreditation team, coming in the Spring, discovers this academic chaos and withholds accreditation.
I understand were you are coming from with COMPARISON,,,,and I may not totally understand both sides. What I do understand is how the outside views a persons work, and what it means to have a job with no UNION and the job gives reviews based on many, many aspects of past performance. Two times a year reviews are given and your average is what you get for a raise. All categories are based on a 1 or2 or 3 or 4. with 1/4’s in-between. The company, ( we’ll say teachers ) know exactly what your total numbers of production and customer relations to team work really is) I would imagine the students biggest concern is going to be what they score on their college entrance exams. To me this is another way also of looking at it as the school has a dress code of UNIFORMS. They are all the same, no pressures of type of sneakers or dress make. Either you do dress as code or you don’t and if not,,,,home you go. So you are either above say 70 average or your not.The students also aren’t bragging about their A’s and others feeling bad about their B and they worked so hard for it. Less pressure I believe. You qualify for activities or you don’t. How many people have had jobs were you made quotas, or made a living off commission with a drawer. I know of 2 and only 2 people there that were in the service and ask them if at a moments notice if they just had to do what and when asked. Maybe some people have been lucky enough that you didn’t have to experience this as a way of life.( or unlucky ) This new way also must have fallen within State guidelines or it wouldn’t be allowed???? Knowing many of the teachers I do know the teachers are Paramount in their field. I rather have my child be taught by a certified teacher than one in a private school. I also know what it is like to be ride’n on by teachers that care, and hate them for it,,,BUT I have gone back to
thank them for it. It will all pass and it will become norm and next year the students will know what they need to do to be in activities. Keep in mind what is going on right now with the economy,,,,,,jobs, jobs, jobs,,,,,also more competition on getting those jobs. Preparation for the real world I think is being made just for that. I honestly can relate to the system. I wouldn’t want to be compared to others,,,,,,,I would want my school or company to be the leader so others would follow. You have a great school there with great educators, just that the world is changing and I hope the students will realize their in for one competitive future. By the way “AG” I think your the elite of the school and also believe students need to take a entrance exam to get in your doors.. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!