<p>
</p>
<p>Honestly, I think the OP will just have a sympathetic chat with the principal and everything will be fine.</p>
<p>Everything may be fine as long as the OP admits his mistake, shows remorse and doesn’t suggest that he deserves to be excused from cheating because he’s black and a good student who wants to go to a good college. Thus far, I haven’t seen evidence that’s what the OP plans to do, and if he doesn’t do those things, I doubt the principal will be sympathetic.</p>
<p>Agree completely with NSM and kemkid on this. CalBreeze, with apologies to Bill W, the first step in recovery is admitting that you broke the rules. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, green, or purple – you broke the rules. There is documented evidence of your cheating. You knew you were helping the other kid to cheat on a test, and you almost certainly knew that what you were doing was wrong. Now you’re posting here that
(a) it’s the teacher’s fault
(b) the principal wants to punish you because you’re black</p>
<p>News flash: The principal wants to get it across to you that you broke the rules. If you’re such a great student, he probably also wants to make sure you understand how much harm you can do to yourself by letting others take advantage of your desire to help, and how unhelpful it is to others if you short-circuit their learning process by bailing them out on the work they’ve failed to do. He might also want to have a little chat with you about running around calling one of the teachers incompetent. This is what we old folks call a “teachable moment.”</p>
<p>Go. Meet with him. Listen to him. Learn about the potential consequences of your actions, not only for you but for the others involved as well. Take personal responsibility. If you are moved to apologize, as I would hope you will be, do so. Find out what he expects from you at this point, and resolve to deliver it. And don’t make this sort of mistake again.</p>
<p>If you learn from your mistake and do what’s right, things are likely to work out just fine. If you follow ChoklitRain’s suggestion (“play the college card and then play the race card”) – well, odds are you’ll deserve what you get, and it won’t be what you hope for.</p>
<p>^ First of all, I made it clear to only play those cards when the principal says he’s NOT lifting the suspension, and also to be apologetic and avoid playing the blame game. Secondly, principals DO care about matriculation and law suits. Thirdly, I’m one of the few people who posted a legitimate strategy rather than a pointless lecture.</p>
<p>Legitimate strategy: Be honest, show remorse, accept responsibility.</p>
<p>I agree w/NSM, but in any case, don’t go alone.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=Northstarmom]
Legitimate strategy: Be honest, show remorse, accept responsibility.
[/quote]
… This.</p>
<p>Ok, well I am very empathetic to you Calbreeze. I was in a different situation with two friends…but the outcome was sort of similar in that my two friends were completely exonerated and I was basically screwed over (I was demoted in one of my clubs and given two detentions). So, here is the advice that I offer you:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Previous posters are absolutely right when they say to try to show remorse (but not in an overly dramatic way). </p></li>
<li><p>Ya, play the good student card…again though dont b snobby about it. One of my big mistakes was that when I was trying to get out of a “bad” situation I kinda came off as more snobby than anything else. So, dont say something like “Look, I am a better student than anyone else in this club, I got a 2340/36 on the SAT/ACT on my first tries, am val of my class and have won more state championships than anyone in the history of this God forsaken school…so moral of the story I am always right!”—definately an exaggerated example…but you get the idea.</p></li>
<li><p>Kinda the same point as above…but show humility. Let the teacher know you think
you were wrong(even if you dont think you were…be a good actor)</p></li>
<li><p>DONT TRY TO PLAY THE RACE CARD! That will probably backfire so fast that you will immediately be ignored and hated by the principal, causing you to get into big trouble. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, in conclusion, from what I have read you seem like a good guy/gal. I personally believe that helping someone with a TAKE-HOME test is a relatively minor offense and suspending you was harsh. Additionally, I dont want to see you get stopped from going to any ivy league/good school just because of this one bad incident. Try to be humble and fair minded…dont really stand up for yourself unless you know that the meeting with the principal is going south fast.</p>
<p>Also, choklitrain is not really wrong in anything he says at all…unethical maybe but wrong no. College/schooling is one big competition and you need to be willing to use any effective method to get out on top. Some dont like this and frankly I dont either…but it is a necessary evil. </p>
<p>As I already said though, do not try to evoke race into this debate. Most authority figures would view that as a direct an attempt to threaten them legally. Just dont try it.</p>
<p>Bahahaha</p>
<p>if you play the race card, there is really no way the principal can respond that cannot be twisted as “racist” comments… it’s sort of a deusche move, but it would work</p>
<p>what choklitrain said is right though: only do it as a last resort</p>
<p>I disagree with the other posters saying don’t use the race card. Well I would only use it as a last resort if it’s clear that he won’t lift the suspension…which I’m pretty sure he will. While it may not exactly be ethical to use the card, it’s unethical for him to lift the punishments of the other two students and not your own OP. Unless there are other circumstances surrounding the reversal of the other two kids I don’t understand why he won’t have your suspension removed. I’d also make sure you go there with the parents and let the parents in on the plan. That being said, don’t use it first…only as a last resort…you don’t even know what the decision is yet.</p>
<p>“f you play the race card, there is really no way the principal can respond that cannot be twisted as “racist” comments… it’s sort of a deusche move, but it would work”</p>
<p>Remember, the guidance counselor and/or the principal write recommendations for the student when the student applies to colleges. All colleges or virtually all colleges ask for a recommendation by the GC or principal. And if the OP has done well on the PSAT, he also would need such a recc for National Merit or National Achievement finalist.</p>
<p>Not a good idea to get on the bad side of the principal. Winning this battle by threatening the principal with a lawsuit is a good way to lose the war. Showing remorse, apologizing and accepting whatever punishment is given is a good way to regain the good regard of the principal, and the guidance counselor. And, if you’re not aware of it, when students get on anyone teacher or administrator’s bad side in a school, faculty talk about it, and that can have repercussions in terms of the student’s relationship with teachers/administrators who weren’t directly involved with the situation.</p>
<p>NSM, I have to question your analysis. While he should definitely show remorse and apologize (which should be the first course of action), if the punishment is still upheld I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in saying his chances of getting into top colleges or getting endorsed for National Merit aren’t looking good. If he eventually has to pull the race card to win the battle I don’t doubt what you say will occur but I think the Principal would still endorse him (you don’t write a rec for it from the Principal, you get it signed off by him and he may not want to deal with the whole issue again) for National Merit. For college apps, he’s screwed both ways the way I see it if the suspension (when it says cheating) is still upheld.</p>
<p>“if the punishment is still upheld I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in saying his chances of getting into top colleges or getting endorsed for National Merit aren’t looking good.”</p>
<p>He may be screwed even if the punishment isn’t upheld. If the punishment gets lifted because the principal is afraid of getting sued, then the student still isn’t likely to get into top colleges because probably the principal and guidance counselor will include info on the student’s recommendation that will have the colleges justifiably doubting the student’s integrity. A low mark for character and a “feel free to call if you have questions about this recommendation” could flag the colleges that something is wrong with the student.</p>
<p>The student blew it big time by helping someone cheat .That’s not a minor offense even though some posting here think it is. If the teacher indeed was incompetent and was testing the students on something that they hadn’t been taught, then the proper thing to do was for the student to have complained to the teacher and possibly have even involved his parents in this situation. </p>
<p>Guiding that student to do that would have been appropriate for the OP to do, and would have demonstrated integrity. Doing his test for him was not.</p>
<p>If the OP ticks off the principal, the principal easily can not sign off on National Merit or National Achievement scholarship endorsements. The OP would never know. The paperwork can be sent in by the school with no signature. The OP would just never make finalist. National Merit and National Achievement won’t share the reason why.</p>
<ol>
<li> You can’t work with someone on a TH test? Weird. At my school we’re allowed to…</li>
<li> Did you know you weren’t allowed to help on the test?</li>
<li> If you’re going to play the race card, I would get your parents to play it for you (only if sh-t really hits the fan, of course). I think an adult questioning an administrator’s action is a lot more meaningful than a 17 year old kid (no offense).</li>
</ol>
<p>Students at my high school were suspended for cheating and they still got into Notre Dame and Berkele, even with academic dishonesty on their transcript</p>
<p>All schools I’ve been involved with don’t allow students to get help from another person on take home exams. The students, however, can use their books, the library, the Internet, etc. to get help. The fact that the OP had already taken the course indicates the OP knew what this teacher’s rules were.</p>
<p>NSM, I don’t disagree with anything you said in that second to last post. What I do think though is that, materially, he is better off getting that removed from his record. Obviously there’s a preferred way of doing that (being apologetic and showing remorse), but I still contend that if he is forced between pulling the race card or accepting the punishment he would still be materially better off doing the former. One of the things I’m most sure about pertaining to admissions to top schools is that if your transcript says you were suspended for cheating you’re done like a Thanksgiving turkey.</p>
<p>@ NSM </p>
<p>The OP didn’t say whether or not he knew helping someone on a TH test was against the honesty policies at his school. Since his teacher was lacking mentally, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t make her policy clear. At my school, when we have a take home test, most teachers are chill with “group work” or help from other students. I’m surprised to hear otherwise. Also, principals/administrators don’t write recommendations for students. Guidance counselors do, but not principals.</p>
<p>Let me alter the strategy: bring your parents! you personally should apologize, take responsibility, and be respectful. if he still decides to uphold it, then your parents play the “good student” card and, if necessary, the race card. it’s sort of a good cop/bad cop routine.</p>