Discrimination At School

Parents Forum
1

Please hear the entirety of my situation.

I am an Asian student in 11th grade at a competitive high school in southern California. I am taking the following questions.

AP Spanish
AP Statistics
Math Analysis H
AP Chemistry
AP English Language
APUSH

Recently, while taking a distance learning math test, I became very sick during the test. I became sick because my WIFI went out and forced me to leave the google meet, and my math teacher is one of those teachers who gets really angry when she cannot see the video during a test/quiz. Since I was in the bathroom feeling sick for the rest of the test, and could physically not continue taking the test, the teacher gives me a zero on the test because she “could not see me in the meet”. I explained what happened, and asked her that I should be given a make-up opportunity since I physically could not continue taking the test, but she refuses to give me one. She gives me a 0 / 100 points on the test, putting my grade down at a D+.

I think that this is highly unfair of the teacher to not give me an equal chance at performing well on this test, especially since this is a medical related issue. This has also become an issue of discrimination, since the teacher told me that “I would be able to become whatever doctor/computer engineer that you want to be” without even knowing my full intentions, and she said this just because I am Indian.

The only way that I can get an acceptable grade in my Math Analysis class is if I drop into Math Analysis (CP), which I got approved by my school without it showing on my transcript that I dropped mid-semester. At best, I can achieve a B in the CP Math Analysis course, and A’s in all of my AP courses I am taking.

Even the principle and my counselor agree that I should be given a make-up opportunity, but they also told me that the teacher had the ultimate power to decide what to do.

I have a couple of questions relating to how this will affect my college admissions. I am aiming for the elite colleges.

1.) Will I be able to explain this situation to colleges? Will they be understanding?
2.) Should I take this case further to the CDE for the teacher not giving an equal chance to me, while also making discriminatory remarks?
3.) Since I doubled up in mathematics this year (AP Statistics and MA), will I be given some leeway?
4.) Will colleges understand me taking a CP class during junior year because of this situation?

Thank you for taking your time to help me out, it really means a lot in this tough time.

2

I am sorry you are feeling such stress. These are tough times. Let’s break down your situation.

  1. You became ill because your wifi went out and went to the bathroom for the duration of the test. This is not the most common reaction to losing wifi and understandably one which could raise suspicion in the teacher. You could have done a number of things with your phone -- texted, emailed, used it as a hot spot or simply used it in lieu of your laptop. I understand how you might have panicked, but I also understand why the teacher would have expected a workaround. This is all water over the dam, but you need to approach your discussions with the teacher with an awareness of the other side.
  2. The remark was not discrimination. It sounds like the comment was made to a high-achieving student taking a class which would suggest an aptitude and interest in a STEM field. It was essentially "on the path of life, one failed math test is not going change the destination". Nor will it. Discrimination is real and when you deal with it regularly, it bears a heavy toll. And you may have noticed other things with this teacher. But this alone doesn't count.
  3. It is up to the teacher to decide what to do. Like it or not. You can ask politely and respectfully for another test or a way to assess and demonstrate mastery of the material. You may want to explain that you panicked and that you have since developed a plan if it happens again. You need to acknowledge that the teacher's desire to watch students keeps the tests fair. You can explain that you are anxious about your grades and that another opportunity would mean a lot to you and you realize that preparing a restest for you is asking a lot from the teacher. You need to step away from the rhetoric that the teacher is a monster of some sort and that you are a victim. This is a CDE class and the teacher is probably used to dealing with older, more mature students. You need to be that here. My hunch is that if you approach it this way, your odds will be better.

I suspect you can still get a good grade, even without a retest, and I think it’s possible that if you approach the retest not as something owed to you, you may get it. And I think you’ll do fine in college admissions too, either way. Good luck!

3

I could be very wrong, so forgive me if I am missing something, but your explanation of discrimination does not include enough information to sound accurate to me. IMHO the way it is written sounds quite the opposite to me, as in you have this incredible gift of privilege. People see your work ethic and abilities and think of great career possibilities that you would be successful at.

You seem like a very conscientious student and that your teacher sees indications that you could easily aspire to some of the most prestigious occupations some might only dream of. I would give her the benefit of the doubt, which you feel you were not given and make something good out of this. Don’t spend anymore energy thinking or pursuing a fight with her or even defending something that hasn’t become an issue. Instead pour it into bettering yourself.

I know that this one class seems like the end of the world. I promise you it isn’t unless you make it that way. Don’t allow it to move you off course. Decide what will be the best outcome with respect to this one class on or off your transcript. No college will put as much thought as you have into any one class. Keep the focus on improving yourself, the best course of action for your future. I wish you the best outcome.

4

In defense of the OP, the teacher could have entirely avoided mention of the stereotype of Asian students striving to become doctors/engineers and simply told the OP that doing poorly on one math test will not ruin their academic career. These one off comments muddy the waters in handling a situation like this because they potentially point to a less sympathetic attitude to a group of students. This may not at all be the case for this teacher but the comment opens the door to questions.

5

^ But in defense of the teacher, we don’t know statements by the student preceded this comment about the consequences of doing poorly on one test. Spending the entire classtime sick in the bathroom because of a wi-fi glitch is strange indeed.

6

The teacher’s comments can be very hurtful, especially to a very stressed out young person learning to navigate the world on his or her own. The teacher might have been very stressed also, and therefore out-of-character when making those remarks.

If I were OP, I would transfer out of this H course (honors?) into the CP (college prep?) one. I do not recommend pursuing this matter with the Department of Education; instead, converse with your teacher that the comment was hurtful and move on.

I would not worry at all about a potential B in a math course in junior year, especially the rest of your curriculum seems to be the most rigorous available. There is no need to explain a B, in fact, do not try to explain this in your college applications, for it would come across as vindictive on your part. I don’t think that your acceptance to ANY college would be dependent on the outcome of this class, whether you continue in H or ‘drop’ to CP, especially if you can manage a B in either. DiscovererJay, you will be fine and get into a good college.

7

I can definitely see the other side of the argument as well, but I have lost 2 family members due to covid, and this has created immense stress in my family. The sickness was a cumulative result of the happenings in my life, and not due to the wifi situation directly.

Thank you so much for your response. I really appreciate any help I can receive right now.

8

@DiscovererJay

Checking for clarity…you are worried about getting one B grade? Is that correct?

In the above, you are saying she said was because you are Indian. That is not part of the quote of what the teacher said. Is that correct? Is it your assumption she said this because you are Indian or is this something she actually stated.

Explain what? One B grade?

Certainly you can take this to a higher level. But please be sure that it is based on what the teacher actually said…and not an assumption. But first…what is the policy if someone drops out of a google meet test time? You need to know that.

Leeway for what? Not getting an A?

Not sure I understand this question. Colleges will look at your whole HS transcript not just this one course or term or year.

9

DiscovererJay, I am sorry for your losses. I still think that it is in YOUR best interest to transfer to another class. Pursuing it further would only add to your stress.

10

Thank you all for your responses. I have decided to drop into MA (CP), for which I will get a B in for my midterm grade. I will have all A’s in my other 5 AP courses.

11

@DiscovererJay , Glad to see you have a path forward. Hoping you are feeling better!

12

I think the issue is that it is hard to understand the connection between loss of wifi and sickness. One of my kids is a university professor and they are being told to be extremely lenient in all cases of problems with Zoom, stress in family etc. during this difficult time. If you had said you lost connection OR that you were ill, it might have been better than saying both. Is the class recorded? There should be recordings so that kids at home who are, say, taking care of a younger sibling or get interrupted by household activity, or get sick, or whatever, can get the whole content of the class.

I personally feel the teacher in this case was wrong. If I had the means, I would even consult a lawyer. There should be leniency, understanding and kindness across the board during COVID and remote learning.

13

@compmom normally i would agree…and I do think some leniency should be there…but…

  1. This was a test, not just a regular class. The student saw the test and questions already so really, the instructor would need to craft a whole new test.
  2. This student is putting this into the house of “discrimination” and I’m not convinced the professor had that intent. Was this the student’s interpretation?
  3. What is the school policy regarding this issue!
  4. Great that the student has a path forward. I want to reiterate...one B grade in not the tippy top class is not likely to affect college admissions...and that seems to be the student’s primary concern. Kids get admitted to very top schools all the time with one, or more B grades. You don’t need a perfect 4.0 to gain admission to the top 20 schools.
14

Your midterm grade would be a B, NOT your final grade? Do you have the ability to pull that grade up?

15

In my opinion one final grade of B is not going to jettison college acceptances in a couple of years…assuming the rest of the application is a strong one. One B? Lots of people have one B grade. All A grades are not a guarantee of acceptance at elite schools,

16

My family member who teaches at the college level has made new tests for students who are at home with unusual circumstances. I think this student could provide documentation of the two family members with COVID. Zoom service interruptions would affect the amount of time allotted for a test. If stress made the student sick, with the Zoom interruption somehow a straw that broke the camel’s back, perhaps a doctor could get involved. I would appeal to higher ups at the very least. What good has this teacher done for the student? Teachers should be helping students learn, and there are many difficulties with Zoom classes, COVID stress, responsibilities at home. Teachers really have no idea what is going on with students and should tend toward leniency until this is over.

17

@compmom this is exactly what I am trying to get at.

18

“In the above, you are saying she said was because you are Indian. That is not part of the quote of what the teacher said. Is that correct? Is it your assumption she said this because you are Indian or is this something she actually stated.”

It may not be discriminating but I know a lot of Asians here in the bay area who are not in STEM and who would be highly offended by that statement, if that was in fact what the student said. It’s stereotypical at best, maybe not racist, but you have to suspect why the teacher would make that comment.

Anyway OP, glad things worked out.

19

Honestly, I don’t see how the resolution here means “things worked out.” The OP had to drop the class and move to a lower level math class. In terms of college admissions, that is probably fine, but in terms of learning and challenge and the right to be at the appropriate level, it is not fine. I still think the OP should appeal at a higher level, if it is not too late.

20

A student who has doubled up on math courses, and is performing well in them, will often be expected to pursue a STEM oriented career, regardless of ethnicity.
I am sorry it has been a difficult time for OP and hope they can find some stress relief thru exercise or meditation or whatever.