TOXIC High School Environment (??)

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hey everyone,

So like the title suggests I have an issue with my high school’s environment I guess you could say. Recently, everyone in the AP Physics class cheated on a test to get an A. The thing is, there are two teachers in our school who teach physics, let’s called them Teacher A and Teacher B. For the finals test, there was not enough time to complete the test, so Teacher B let everyone finish the test the next day. There’s a hint group chat with everyone in the class of 2019 where we share homework dates and help. But, everyone in teacher B’s class started sharing the questions and solutions to the problems with each other. I’m in Teacher A’s class, and although they use the same questions I tried to tell everyone to have some academic integrity to which they responded, “lol, what is that? It’s nonexistent” The thing is, this test is 30% of our grade and I had to study really hard and pull 2 All-nighters to understand the material and get an A on the test, so I could keep my A in the class. But these guys are all getting A’s without working at all. Some even wrote “I have to change my whole test now” In the chat. Frustrated, I told the principal, who told me she would “take appropriate actions” In our school, cheating on a major test is a stage 4 academic violation. The only thing that she did was null the test and it’s score for EVERYONE, whereas I had given her a list of the participant on her request.

Here’s the issue: our schools officials care so little that there’s no difference between getting an honest A and an A by cheating. This isn’t new, it’s been a problem in my class for the past 2 years but they don’t do anything about it, and it’s very unfair. I know everyone won’t just stop cheating, but upon punishment they would definitely be discouraged.

Another issue that someone might bring up is this: ultimately, they are harming themselves by not being prepared for college. This is not necessarily true. My school requires everyone to take AP Physics, so many don’t even want to take the class. As a result, getting an A and not understanding the material is not a big deal for most.

I don’t know… I’ve just had enough you know? It’s not even just the academic dishonesty they lack to addrsss properly. They don’t even address cases of bullying correctly or efficiently. My friend was being bullied by a group of students because of her race, and the school told her she didn’t have options if she didn’t want to reveal who she was to the people she complained about?? I mean what is this? That discourages anyone from reporting bullying, intimidation or harassment EVER.

Now, I do understand that the people who cheat make up the “magnet program” of the school, myself included, and so my friend and I are the only non-Asians. I don’t want to stereotype a race, but the Asians at my school live up to the whole “Must get A’s ,cannot socialize stereotype.” They frequently bribe teachers (by bringing them gifts for the most random occasions) or just straight up kiss up to the teachers to get an A.

I know this sounds like a fundamental problem, and it probably is, but I would like feedback on how to handle this situation? Or if anyone has had any previous experiences like mine?

Thank you all

2

Well, you are probably not going to start a revolution, so the best way to deal with it is to deal with it. Work as hard as possible and get good grades. You’re not going to change other people’s decisions. I would not say your school is “toxic” just because kids cheat in your Physics class. If that’s the issue, than so what? If they cheat then that’s their decision and it will catch up with them. I also understand where the administration is coming from. If every report is a rogue mission, what it is that going to do? In fact, I think it makes the people even more mad and you don’t think that they know who they were being racist about. See what I mean? It’s your job to do well in school. You’re not the manager of other people’s lives. Let them make their own decisions. :slight_smile:

3

@ab2002 i understand that. By no means am I calling for a revolution, but if you don’t discourage something it’s passively encouraging the action. So, yeah I think it’s unfair we get the same grades and I worked infinitely times harder. I should I get recognition for that, as well as everyone else who worked hard for their A. Not having the test be removed and nothing done about it. People’s grades ride and this test. Excuse for me thinking people who actually know the content should get an A, instead of settling for B.

4

Do the two teachers know this or just the principal? Unless you’re concerned that they might out you as a narc, push back a little with them and see how they want to handle it. Voiding the test might have made this situation go away, but a new test with no room for cheating might let the students who’ve studied gain some ground. It’s a fundamental fairness thing and it reflects poorly on them when grades are not based on a full knowledge of the material.

I will say that I think some of the root of this problem lies with a school that requires AP classes for everyone even where there’s no interest. That’s just a formula for low investment by the students.

5

I don’t know what u could do without the support of school administrators. That being said, is it possible that ur perception of ur school is pretty colored? U said that u don’t want to stereotype a group of people then u turned around and did just that.
I assume there r Asians in Teacher A’s class too who were not part of the “cheating” group? I have never heard of Asians “bribing” teachers, but that could just be my ignorance. I am sure u r a hard working student and I am also sure u r not the only hard working one.
You could opt to be super mad about this In addition to an already stressful hs life, or u could choose to focus on ur own study and know It may felt unlikely, hs does end eventually.
Good luck.

6

@makemesmart yeah I guess I could be biased because of other circumstances like this. I know stereotyping is not good and should obviously never been the cause of judgement for people but I just wanted to describe i guess not well the environment. Yeah, the Asians at my school do bribe the teacher and the thing is 98% of my school is Asian with the other two percent being white,Mexican, black etc. The school is a magnet program so it’s top 1% of people who take a really hard test that estimates your~intelligence. The thing is, in our group chat, which has included everyone in my class, and the only people who did not participate was myself and the other 2% of the non-Asian population so I was trying to portray a point through that gross stereotype.
The thing is this is making my high school experience somewhat miserable because I’m spending all my day studying, as well as others I am sure, and these students are breezing by with A’s. The thing is, In regards to your thinking I have a colored perception of my high school, I dont think I do.
Previously, the teachers had an assembly and basically downgraded everyone in the magnet program. They were publicly called out for this by an anonymous website the school has and so now they’re just really impartial to us and just don’t care.
I know there was a similar situation with a non-magnet student and she detention for a week and a talk about integrity.
Not to mention it doesn’t help that they make threats of “crippling” people who might snitch on them.
It’s not just me. I’m stating what a lot of people at my school are thinking

7

Thanks everyone who responded

@skieurope can you delete this thread?

8

I have seen pretty much the same thing that you described. I found it frustrating at the time.

In my experience, the best that you can do is keep working and continue to do your best. You will have the advantage that you have actually learned the material. This might not matter for this class. However, down the road at some point it will matter a LOT. If you keep working, and other people keep cheating, then in the end you will know the material and they won’t. A year or two years or three years from now or in graduate school or in a job you will discover that suddenly you are way ahead and doing well, a few other students will be doing well, and most of the cheaters will have disappeared.

9

@MangoLover11223 No.

Per Terms of Service:

https://auth.collegeconfidential.com/module.php/hobsonspolicies/policy.php?policy=tos

But I will close the thread.