<p>I've been off swinging at windmills, but I thought you might want an update after all your wonderful input into the cheating situation at my son's high school.</p>
<p>It got worse before it got better. The cheater was named one of the top ten overall graduates, and one of the top ten for the year. (Our district awards the top ten students for just that year in each grade, and the top ten cum graduates at the graduation ceremony.) At the senior awards the student received several (it seems to point to the Latin teacher as the one who has been signing the recs) and was acknowledged for a hefty scholarship. </p>
<p>This spurred a renewed pressure on the superintendent and school board to do SOMETHING, because after being caught and disciplined for cheating more than once, this student was going to sit in a place of honor anyway. The superintendent had no idea this was happening. The school board, once it got wind, also redoubled their efforts.</p>
<p>Now, due to some "face saving"...I'm not sure which face, there seem to be several in need....and the finalization of ranks, the cheater will graduate in the top ten and be listed as such. But, they will not be honored at the board meeting this week, as CONDUCT is listed as one of the criteria for the school board top ten award. I am not sure what will happen to the cheater's transcripts, and it would be confidential anyway so I will likely never know. They will also not be allowed to wear the honor society stole. </p>
<p>Tomorrow, after the top ten ceremonies, I will speak in front of the school board and ask them to adopt a stringent honor code. If A, then B. There should never be another instance where a cheater can benefit from their dirty deeds. Remember, this was not alleged, this student was caught red-handed and disciplined more than one time. I will ask that the superintendent be notified of those students who break the code, and that there be a notation made on their transcripts so community organizations can decide who is most deserving of their scholarship money. </p>
<p>You are a wonderful example for following through on what you believe in. Awesome job for not just pointing fingers but for coming up with a solution. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Sometimes cheaters get elected to the United States Senate, such as Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, who was asked to leave Syracuse Law School for engaging in plagarism.</p>
<p>Good luck! I admire your guts. I strongly suggest that you ask some other parents to go to the meeting, too, so it's very clear that you aren't the only one who cares about ethics.</p>
<p>Another voice solidly behind you, texastaximom. So often, people rail against the injustice to anyone who will listen sympathetically, but fail to take the courageous steps necessary to address the situation where it counts. I hope your efforts bear fruit. NSM's idea of additional parents at the meeting is a good one! Waiting to hear how it goes.</p>
<p>The cheater should not be allowed to even walk at graduation - I am quite surprised that honors bestowed on this student were not re-neg'd on - does not deserve them under any circimstances. I am also a bit disturbed that this student continues to be considered in the top 10 at all. Wonder if colleges were informed of his actions uuummmmmm. Students here are disciplined quite harshly for cheating under those circumstances - just sounds to me as tho this student is still able to reap the benefits of his actions even tho this student may loose some of the recognition he had achieved. Tooooo bad - cheating will not get this student far in life.</p>
<p>Last year at my S's school a boy was caught plagerizing his senior thesis. His punishment was that he received an F for the semester, did not get to graduate with the class, and had to retake the semester at summer school in order to graduate at all. Funny thing though, he had gotten a scholarship at an unnamed high level college for la crosse, and they still welcomed him with open arms....I'm not sure if they were informed of his "problems", but it would show up on his transcript that he had to retake a semester of English.</p>
<p>appear at the school board or wear the honor regalia? I hope that's not the case.</p>
<p>Why I asked this:</p>
<p>"But, THEY??? will not be honored at the board meeting this week, as CONDUCT is listed as one of the criteria for the school board top ten award."</p>
<p>If so, it reminds me of what happened to the National Honor Society at my Louisiana High School. I was in the next to last group inducted, in 1965. In the next group, a young woman was selected for induction who happened to be pregnant. The National Honor Society was disbanded for several years rather than, horrors, have this soul's picture in the yearbook. I and the others in my next to last group were able to list NHS under our pictures in the yearbook as an accomplishment and were members of the NHS but no group picture was included in the sports/clubs/organizations section. Those named with the unfortunate young woman for induction couldn't even do that. While not tapped for National Honor Society membership (grades), the putative father was allowed to receive all honors for which he was eligible. Phbllllllt!!!! I still have the yearbook.</p>
<p>Fast forward to last week. Several score students in Christian County, Kentucky, marched on the school board office to protest the inclusion in the ranks of graduates several individuals who either failed their writing portfolios or engaged in plagiarism. The brave school board trumped the site based committee for the high school's decision to deny immediate graduation to the failing/cheating students, and wrote a new rule that would allow them to graduate. The courageous superintendent who had committed to meeting with the students was "unavailable," out of town for a meeting. Right.</p>
<p>The site based committee's rule wasn't heartless or draconian; students who were denied graduation could make up the portfolio deficiencies during the summer and still receive a diploma.</p>
<p>Wow, those are two very sad instances. The problem with this year is that there is no honor code to fall back on. That has allowed room for face saving and negotiation. There's not much I can do about it, and even though the cheater isn't suffering all that could happen, there is some punishment. Part of the fault lies with the school administration that let the cheater continue. They had ample opportunity after the first few instances to yank the ceremonial carpet right out from underneath, but elected not to. The students complained, the affected teachers complained. Nobody had their backs.</p>
<p>So, the best I can do is to get them to implement an honor code to hold all the subsequent students to some sort of standard and to make sure that the punishment is even handed. By not saying anything, I would be as guilty as everyone else that let it go by. Most importantly, since the comments are public, the community organizations that donate money are now aware that they may need to delve more deelpy into an applicant's background before giving a scholarship. They may even wish to add something to the bottom of their application.</p>
<p>Walkiing at a school board ceremony hardly seems to matter to such a young man and I think its unfortunate that he may have received scholarships that should have been awarded to more legit students. Also, based on the number of times he was caught cheating you have to assume he cheated without being caught tenfold. So being in the top 10 is probably based on less than genuine academics. I can understand cutting a kid slack the first time, but this is absurd. I wonder if any teachers will have the guts to inform the scholarships or have the NHS removed from his ciollege EC list. What happened to the alleged forgery of recs?</p>
<p>Yes, the top ten overall ranking is more important as far as transcripts. I will never know if they put the cheating on the final transcript or not. I hope they do, but I haven't seen much spine up to this point. I'm not sure what all they are willing to do at this eleventh hour. The sad thing is that I brought this to the principal's attention back at the beginning of the school year, when the physics book was taken. There WAS time.</p>
<p>As for the alleged forgeries, none have surfaced. It seems to me that perhaps the Latin teacher did give some recs, but that would not account for the science/math department's lack thereof. Most schools want one from each area. The science teachers are curious. </p>
<p>The scholarship money bothers me a lot, and the superintendent. We have a lot of students that count on every dime to attend school, and to lose out to someone so disingenous is not fair. It could jeopardize the community contributions next year, if the school district cannot ensure that cheaters are weeded out of the process. That will be trust that the district must earn back.</p>
<p>It all comes down to this, when the cheater walks--everyone will know the story. It's not hidden away, they aren't really getting off scott free. Nobody will be celebrating for them. Of course I am assuming this would bother the cheater the way it would bother most kids with a conscience.</p>
<p>How about a rousing cheer of "Cheater, Cheater" when cheater gets diploma? Somewhat childish I know, but nothing wrong with getting in touch with your inner child - is there? :)</p>
<p>LOL...nobody would hear over the air horns and such fal-de-ral. Decorum is not a strong suit at our mass graduations. They are held in the football stadium, and over 700 kids walk. They look like little ants. Last year they sold refreshments! Air horns, cow bells, and other such nonesense rule the day...silly string, balloons...I am waiting for someone to bring doves at some point. </p>
<p>The cheater has been uncovered, and people <em>know</em>....and knowing that people know would be enough to ruin it for me, but then again I have a conscience.</p>
<p>texastaximom, I've been reading about this kid for awhile. I haven't read anything about this kid's parents. What's up with them? What role do they play? Are they embarrassed by all this? I still think this would be a good story for a national or regional media outlet.</p>
<p>I think it is good that you are speaking up. I agree with Northstarmom that if this bothered many in the community, then there is power in numbers and ideally, many people should speak up at this school board meeting. I commend you for affecting change. The idea of developing an honor policy so that it becomes clear cut to avoid this scenario in the future is wise on your part and is applaudable because you are doing MORE than complaining....you are making a difference for those who come next. Yay!
Susan</p>
<p>OK TMom - I have just put my watch on Texas time and will be thinking of you for the next 48 hrs. Tomorrow standing by you in spirit, and the day after, back to tilting/swinging at windmills just for the joy of it! and not bcuz of the necessity of it! I will also be saying a prayer for this young person that he/she will find the strength of character to own up to her responsibility and make amends where he/she can! GL!</p>
<p>Sometimes I think the school districts need their collective heads examined. Here in Texas, a young lady who had the top GPA at her high school was denied valedictorian because the school district's policy is that the valedictorian must be registered at the school by the 20th day of their junior year. This girl was being treated out of state for a life threatening case of anorexia at the start of her junior year. She entered school six weeks late. She had attended school in this district since kindergarten, had planned to attend at the start of her junior year, overcame her disease, and made up all the work she missed due to her illness, yet the school officials refused to address this unexpected twist. Her fellow classmates supported her as valedictorian. She and her family, being gracious people, have accepted an "honorary" valedictorian designation, and have refused offers of legal representation. Whether this situation would be different if she had been fighting cancer or some other "acceptable" illness, we'll never know.
Why are zero tolerance rules enforced at all the wrong times?</p>
<p>cal0302 - Wow! Totally unbelievable. Her parents are very gracious (I'm not sure that I would have been), but at least they can hold their heads up high.</p>