It's not right... all my hard work gone to waste :/

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hey there my CC friends, hopefully you guys have some encouraging words, because I'm holding back tears and an unhealthy amount of anger right now....</p>

<p>I'll be a senior once this school year starts. My 3 years at a private school has been good. I pride myself on my school work and being a good student. Sure I don't have a 4.0, but I've always been damn consistent. About an 86 average with a few 90's in my strong subjects.</p>

<p>I've gotten very involved. Been in leadership programs, mock trial team, editor of my paper, got an internship this summer with Bloomberg due to some programs I had to fight to get into. But I did it. I've always been a good student. </p>

<p>Going back to freshman year, there is not one teacher who would write an even somewhat negative report. Every single teacher has liked me.</p>

<p>I've NEVER gotten in trouble or gotten any issues. Until now.... a rule that doesn't make any sense, one that can potentially kill my chances at going to my dream schools.</p>

<p>I've always had a problem with lateness and absence. I'm absent about 7 or so times a year on average, and late about the same amount of times. My school is incredibly strict on lateness. The vast majority of them have came when I was running into homeroom at the 8:10 bell. I've signed the latebook at 8:10 a million times. </p>

<p>This year, I messed up, big time. My latenesses and absences combined to default my grade. My 3rd quarter grade went from about an 87 to an 80. All my 90's were defaulted to 85. </p>

<p>CC, it was stupid of me. I know. 8 absents, 13 lateness was my record at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, back in March.</p>

<p>So I spoke to my principal about it, and I took my punishment. He told me:</p>

<p>"Work hard and do well on your 4th quarter and final grades."</p>

<p>And I did just that. In fact I was not late in April, May, or June. Nor do I think I was absent. Only once tops. </p>

<p>Now I finally got my act together, I am good to go. Put the past ways and habits behind me, right? Nope. Now readers, let me just get to the point..</p>

<p>Today I picked up my report card. And you know what? My grades were defaulted AGAIN for the 4th quarter. My average went from a 90 to an 82. I tried to talk to the vice principal and principal, but they would have none of it.</p>

<p>I'm upset for the following reason:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My dream schools are BU and Northeastern. With these defaults, my GPA drops about 3 points. My 85 unweighted end of year average is the lowest ever. Even worse than freshman year. I need every single point I could get.</p></li>
<li><p>My rank goes from about 17 to 30 something. Giving me no shot to be in the top 15%. </p></li>
<li><p>The biggest reason why I am boiling right now. The way I am treated.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I don't understand my principals grudge against me. He's had a dislike for me all these years. I don't get it CC: I've seen kids threaten to beat up teachers with chairs. Students get suspended multiple times but given second chances. Students who have stolen from the school and were allowed to stay. Kids who have disrespected teachers and done zero work. Yet they get all these chances. I just wanted 5 minutes to reason with my principal. I cant even get that.</p>

<p>I worked my ass off the 4th quarter and broke a bad habit. Now all my hard work the entire second semester means absolutely NOTHING. All the work I did trying to raise my GPA in the 3rd and 4th quarter gone. Those quarters were some of my highest grades in all of high school. Now they are the worst. I understand defaulting them for the 3rd quarter, but can someone please explain the logic in dropping them in the 4th? It's not right, especially after how good I have represented the school and how good a student I have been.</p>

<p>Explain the logic, please. I missed no time off in the 4th quarter, yet due to absents that happened back in January, my academic growth is limited and my grades in every class all have to drop a good 7-10 points?</p>

<p>My dream school hopes are probably just gone. What gets me mad is the lack of disrespect and favortism I have seen. This is my life, my hopes and dreams :/, and they're just toying with it. Any other ideas on what I can do? They can change my grades back, but they don't want to.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long rant, but this hurts, a lot. And on so many levels as well.</p>

2

<p>I’m sorry, it really does seem like you were treated unfairly.

  1. I would get yourself familiar with the lateness policy in your school (Do you have a student handbook?)
  2. Then I would talk to your GC, or try and schedule a meeting with a principal (maybe they were really busy that day?)</p>

<p>Good luck, I really hope this all works out in your favor!</p>

3

<p>Get your parents to complain.</p>

<p>I would be furious.</p>

4

<p>I agree with jamesford. Threaten to sue.</p>

5

<p>Yup. jamesford has got it down. Even though it might seem “babyish” or even “petty” to bring your parents into the conflict, it’s absolutely necessary for them to take you seriously. </p>

<p>Go to the higher administrators first (principal etc) and if they ignore you, talk to the superintendent (district office etc). Definitely definitely talk to the superintendent if the principal isn’t being “cooperative”. </p>

<p>But first, reread the student handbook very thoroughly on the section about tardiness. See the rule for defaulting your grade (such a stupid concept…). Make sure you know your stuff. Are they even allowed to default your grade? And if the student handbook warns you about defaulting, is there a certain rule of how much you will get defaulted by?</p>

<p>This whole thing seems rather arbitrary to me. Drag your parents and talk to your principal, and then your superintendent. </p>

<p>And in the future, set your alarm clock ten minutes early. So when it says 7:30, it’s actually around 7:20, but I hurry anyways because it feels late.</p>

6

<p>They default your grades for being late? Good Lord. </p>

<p>Definitely get your parents involved. The 4th quarter grade default is definitely unfair.</p>

7

<p>i’m sorry for the BS you’re dealing with. what fairy_dreams said. and then, let us know how it worked out, 'kay?</p>

8

<p>How hard is it to go to school at the required time? You’re a senior…there is no excuse.</p>

9

<p>^ Obviously you’ve never had trouble with transportation, oh person who has never been tardy.</p>

10

<p>“Hard work always goes to waste. Now smart work, that’s a different story.” ~ Nick017</p>

11

<p>I completely agree that there is no excuse. </p>

<p>I had a lateness problem, but it has never been an issue until now. Thats why at the third quarter I slapped myself and really wandered how stupid I had to be. So I corrected my ways. Sometimes you have to learn things the hard way. We aren’t perfect.</p>

<p>So I worked hard for my 4th quarter grades. Got them up in hopes of making up for my prior stupidity.</p>

<p>I understand if they want to default the 3rd quarter grades. Go ahead, it’s well deserved. But my 4th quarter defaults are uncalled for. I talked to other teachers and my guidance counselors, and they all agreed it was insanely stupid.</p>

<p>What’s even worse is that the principal and vice principal won’t even take me seriously. Not even give me a chance to sit down and discuss the issue. After all I have done to the school? </p>

<p>It’s not even a case of me being bitter and blaming the world for everything. I realized my screw ups, corrected them. But honestly the logic behind the situation and how they are toying with my future is absolutely absurd. Especially when I have done my part representing the school and being a good student.</p>

12

<p>Hey, you confronted your problem to the PRINCIPAL, the man who is suppose to be fair. You took your punishment and you answered his call to do better. Yet they are not doing anything they promised? This calls for parental action. Doesn’t matter how it makes you look, its YOUR future. If I were you, I’d be infuriated to the point of hell. I would petition, I would ask my parents to complain, I would start a riot for all I care because, HS is about us, not them.</p>

<p>If they have issues against you, then it’s their fault, personal issues should be incorporated into business issues. Parents are your answer. Get your butt and ask your parents to complain, tell them your problem, don’t tell lies, be truthful, and by the end, your grades will be what you want them to be.</p>

13

<p>Update: my mom spoke to the vice principal</p>

<p>The same vice principal who when I approached him about the situation today, made fun of my jeans and hair. I have a teacher and friends who witnessed it.</p>

<p>He said that it’s not negotiable. Don’t even bother coming in. And gave this reason:</p>

<p>“If we change the rule for him, we have to change it for everybody.”</p>

<p>Crap crap crap! The rule is at the discretion of the principal and vice principal. </p>

<p>At least hear my case! </p>

<p>My mom left some messages on the principal’s answering machine. Lets see how he responds tomorrow.</p>

<p>It’s amazing how I have seen kids do awful things like almost beat up and curse out teachers, play music on their phone everyday in class, gotten up and walked out of class after disobeying the teacher, etc. They got 1 day suspension.</p>

<p>I will GLADLY take a month of detention or suspension times over ruining my dreams, scholarship chances, etc.</p>

<p>It’s not even fair, it makes no sense. What am I to do if the principal does not budge at all? Am I basically screwed? I better at least get a chance to fight my case.</p>

14

<p>At this point I think you are too emotional to try to work this out with the principal and vice principal anymore. Have your Mom continue to contact them in a calm manor. If they continue to not budge she needs to take it a step further, maybe that means contacting a lawyer or contacting someone on the school board.</p>

<p>There is a legal issue at principle here, that is that the punishment has to be on the same level as the crime. As you have correctly pointed out the amount by which your grades were dinged could make the difference between you getting into the college that you want and not getting into it. They need to find a more appropriate punishment for your tardiness.</p>

<p>You’ll make more progress in this situation with rational arguments rather than emotional ones which is why I think you need to continue having one of your parents involved. They should not back down until this is resolved. The ramifications are too big to let this go.</p>

15

<p>Yeah, get your parents in there to resolve the issue. I would be SO STEAMING MAD! One of my teachers gave me a 0 on an assignment for handing it in late- not only did I not let it stand but I never for gave her. FiGHt! for your rights and against the powers that be ! Keep us posted.</p>

16

<p>Check the rules. If grade defaulting affects semester grades, not quarter grades (or there is some other rule that accounts for their decision), there is nothing you can do. If they are wrong and grade defaulting only affects that quarter, make this clear to them. It seems to me that they believe they are following the rules, if they aren’t then call them out and explain why their ruling should be changed.</p>

17

<p>Is it just me or does the OP sound like a strange excerpt from “A Clockwork Orange”</p>

<p>My school sucks about this sort of thing. Like everyone else has said, if your parents keep hounding them they’ll eventually fix it. Make sure they keep up with it, if they don’t they figure you’ve given up.</p>

18

<p>You are an excellent writer!!! I got hooked lol
But anyways sorry about your school’s administration…</p>

19

<p>Bring some ****ed off parents into this.</p>

20

<p>

Pea had some great advice :]</p>

<p>It seems as if your principal and vice principal are not handling your punishment fairly. But like dunbar said, you should really check to see if grade defaults are for semester grades or quarter grades. I wouldn’t recommend asking your principal or vp about this rule because they might twist it. Maybe ask your counselor or search up a student handbook (it’s usually on the website or in your student planner). Be persistent, and if they are still unresponsive, it’s time to bring it up a level. I wouldn’t just let this matter go.</p>