<p>I enthusiastically second Curmudgeons post!</p>
<p>Yes! TexMom - THANKYOU! </p>
<p>Is there anything we can do for you?</p>
<p>Wow, maybe I need to make my posts clearer. I LOVE, SUPPORT, & RESPECT texastaximom for the stand that she has taken. In no way did I mean to say that she was making this cheater the scapegoat. I just really feel sorry for this cheater & don't think it is fair that he/she stands alone while the adults that let it happen get to blame everyone else for why they didn't do anything about it. They get to stand together as a group supporting each other while the cheater stands alone. They are the ones making the cheater the scapegoat NOT texastaximom.</p>
<p>Oh I understood you mominsearch...I think a lot of this was in reference to another poster that thinks this is a personal vendetta or witch hunt. It is why I elected to involve the school board by way of proposing a policy for the next time someone tries to cheat. I'm not going after the "witch," I'm taking on the whole coven, and any supporters. The student merely brought the problem to light, and you are correct that there are some adults in this process that should be hanging their heads for their inaction. I'm trying not to be one of them. </p>
<p>It would be easier to feel sorry for this student if they would show just an iota of regret, and stop repeating the infraction. That said, I do feel sorry that if they don't change, it's not going to get any better for them down the stretch. What I want to do is to stop having to feel sorry for the other kids that get hurt when someone cheats.</p>
<p>And I thank everyone for their support. The best thing we can do for each other on these boards is disagree with the post, but not the poster as a person. It's a free country, but people are more likely to listen when we aren't in attack mode. And of course never feed the trolls!</p>
<p>"This board depends upon people of good will and noble purpose and you are one.Thank you."</p>
<p>Hear, hear!</p>
<p>A standing ovation for all of the wonderful posters who respectfully and thoughtfully address issues of great interest! It is you who makes this site so special.</p>
<p>Texasmom - Glad you are not the only one who can't spell (that darned spell check!). I know that it must be hard to see someone who shows no regret (and yes, I'm sure they think they are so great in front of the other kids). Keep in mind that even though they may think they are so great on the outside maybe deep down they feel like crap about themself on the inside. It's just a shame all the way around.</p>
<p>Mominsearch and curmudgeon have said it well! I applaud you both, as well, of course, as txtaximom, who has continued to walk softly while carrying a big stick.
Mominsearch-
You are so right about the unfortunate need in today's society to have a written honor code. Sad state of affairs that we have to legislate morality. When did we become such a litiginous society with a massive sense of entitlement? When we don't get what we want, we demand it or threaten to sue. If we do something wrong, rather than admit it and apologize we deny it, blame others or somehow rationalize it as justified. Too many people want something for nothing. What ever happened to work ethic? Geez. </p>
<p>I will step forward and acknowledge that I am one who forwarded to Txtaximim a copy of our school's Honor Code. It is well written and clear. I hope that it, and the others she received, are helpful in getting a system put into place (once it goes through a million layers of bureaucracy and the school board's attorneys) that puts the responsibility back on the student for owning their behavior and the consequences that come with it. Too bad we don't have a parenting playbook to accompany it. Kids model their parents' behavior. It is up to us to set a good, not a bad example. Sad that so many parents seem to choose the latter these days. A soccer coach was just beaten up by a bunch of parents in a nearby community last week. What are we coming to??? Can we expect our kids to behave any better?? </p>
<p>We can't clean up all of societies messes. But people like Txtaximom are willing to step forward and make an effort to be part of the solution. We need more people like her around here.</p>
<p>Add my voice to the chorus supporting texastaximom.</p>
<p>We have a talk show here in TX - Chris Matthews - this was the topic of conversation one day. His point was that we try to work with the kids who "Need" a little help, etc., but zero tolerance is used against successful people. Many people were appalled at this. The rule is a valid one - what was happening was (and still is) that kids were coming from very competetive schools where it was tough to get into the top 10% or be val or sal. Parents with $ would (and still do) get an apartment and send their kids to the school, and with their grades they would take the top spot or bump someone from the top 10%. In TX, the top 10% MUST be accepted to a TX state uni. And vals get free rides with spending $ thrown in. Not a bad deal. In an effort to stop this practice in those schools, they instituted the rule. Good rule. However, when looking at the intent of the rule, this child did not meet the criteria, since she did NOT transfer in, but had been in the district since kindergarten. This practice still goes on in Houston ISD - kids who were on the cusp of the 10% and wanted to get into UT or A&M are still "moving" in and taking those spots, thus guaranteeing them a spot in their chosen college. The unis are petitioning the state legislature to change the rule to mandatory acceptance for the top 5% - that could stop some of this, the bottom half of the 5%. Plus, can you imagine being val at an inner city school and having 1500+ SAT's? And no financial need? Might be attractive to some of the elite schools. There are so many games being played here in TX with this. A form of cheating, isn't it?<br>
BTW, our Academic Integrity Committee students have filmed a video and will be doing a skit at the Beginning of the year Convocation for our District. The video will be shown every year to teachers and administrators. My D was on the inaugural committee and although she will have graduated, appears in the video, and will be there in person on August 11th. So our District has recognized our school's efforts to fight this situation.</p>
<p>Does anyone remember a few years ago when that high school teacher failed a bunch of students for cheating and the parents protested and the school reversed its decision and the kids were giving passing grades? So many parents seem to overlook or condone their own children's actions that it isn't a suprise that this student continues to cheat and get a way with it.</p>
<p>I remember - it was downloading science fair projects and it was the major grade for that semester. The teacher quit because she refused to change the grades. The shcool administration supported her - it was the school board that overturned it. The biggest losers in this case were the kids that didn't cheat - some turned to home schooling, because they were concerned that the school's reputation would hurt them when applying to college. As a schoolteacher, I see this all the time - the parents' need to bail Johnny out of a tight spot instead of letting him suffer the consequences of his actions. After all, this may keep him out of H and after all, it's only one mistake, and could affect him his whole life! The problem is, with over 75% of kids admitting to having cheated, this is not a one time circumstance. And one thing we say on the Academic Integrity Committee, is that whenever we the teachers let a kids off, we hurt them, because they haven't learned anything, and they continue the bad behavior. We reinforce it. But when we clamp down, a lot of it stops.</p>
<p>Oh yes evita! There could be a whole separate thread on "gaming" the system to get in the top 10%. </p>
<p>I support the TX reps who are trying to limit the classes to 50% top tenners, and let the rest of the slots be more holistically selected. In the case of our school, the top ten percent is generally not our minorities, economically disadvantaged, athletes, musicians, journalists, or anyone else that has to take an unweighted activity period with the exception of dance and drill team because they get credit for fine arts, PE, health and foundations. </p>
<p>If the state schools still had some spaces to look in the 5-10% ranks and beneath for those hidden gems, there would be just as much diversity if not more. But probably more protests.</p>
<p>^^I wonder what that woman is doing for work now? (see link)</p>
<p>
[quote]
In TX, the top 10% MUST be accepted to a TX state uni. And vals get free rides with spending $ thrown in.
[/quote]
Not that I know about. Vals get $1000. scholarship for one year only. That's it!!!</p>
<p>How do honor codes work at public schools?</p>
<p>anxiousmom try this link. You'll see that the val "scholarship" in Texas is in place at UT and it provides free tuition for freshman year only. TAMU and all of the smaller campuses that I have looked at, also have the same . They just call it a "tuition exemption" rather than a scholarship.Not a little confusing. A lot confusing.</p>
<p>I just want to say that this topic is definitely front and center at many educational institutions. Today, the Brown Alumni Magazine arrived in the mail. The cover story is......drum roll....."CHEATERS".....Cover says: "CEOS call the numbers. Baseball players take steroids. Politicians consort with lobbyists. Faced with a culture of sleaze, what's a nineteen-year-old to do?"</p>
<p>The articule talks about the rise in cheating on campuses and how Brown professors deal with it and the Academic Code at Brown and so forth. </p>
<p>It's a problem to be sure. So, for anyone who criticized TxTaxiMom for a "vendetta"...this is surely an issue front and center on campus and in fact, a high school SHOULD have policies in place regarding this matter. That is why I applaud TxTaxiMom's attempts to affect change in her school system and hopefully policies to be established to deal with this problem.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is unconscionable to target one student or to use him as an example when it is the system that has failed.
[/quote]
Blame the system , blame the tide, but don't blame the cheating student, it'll hurt his free ride. </p>
<p>Volitional acts are criminalized in this country for children far younger than the high school student being discussed here. When states adjudicate 15 year olds as adults so they can sentence them to long prison sentences, I cringe. I admit it. But I'm not going to waste any tears on a high school senior who repeatedly violated the standards of honesty that should be expected from a eight year old of average intelligence. Unconscionable? "Manifestly unjust"? Not on my street.</p>
<p>rjmde, I don't think anyone here is speaking of "targeting" the cheater. Everyone involved who allowed this to happen should be ashamed, inlcuding administrators, teachers and the cheater. I would still like to hear about the parents. Did they know about the cheating incident*s*? Were I attending the graduation of the cheater, I would sit quietly with my hands in my lap when they were called forward. He/she is not deserving of any accolades or positive recognition.</p>
<p>I don't know why you're confused but the rest of us aren't. His/her name is not being published, but just like with any wrong-doing in certain settings, word gets around. People should be embarrassed when they do something wrong. He/she obviously feels no embarrassment or remorse as the action continued. We have said it numerous times ... everyone involved is responsible, including the cheater. I guess I'm confused as to why someone supports someone who continued such an action. Once is a terrible mistake. More than once is nothing more than thumbing their nose at the system.</p>
<p>Just curious, why the change in screen name?</p>