The Children Are Our Future

The good news is, while these products of the public school system might want your stuff at some point, they won't be smart enough to take it from you.

Brings to mind the story of the 8 year old Nebraska boy named Hunter. He was deaf and his sign language signature was deemed to be gun like.
Where do we find these people. There was a time when mental illness was not considered an asset that would get you a leadership job.
My aged Mother, a retired teacher would tell how she was disciplined for giving her class a lecture against stealing. She was imposing her value system on those poor innocent students. (sarc. off)

He should have mocked the morons at the school board by complying with their idiotic policies and giving a grade of .1.

Full compliance + mocking morons . . priceless.

I'm surprised they just didn't just make the school a no-zero zone. Anyone caught with a zero on their person gets suspended.

When someones answers in an assignment are worth nothing, the most appropriate thing is to give them a mark of 0. The notion that they should be given any higher mark is complete idiocy. You don't get marks for merely showing up - you get marks for correct answers on work that is completed.

Any school official who supports a "no 0" policy should be held in utter contempt. Despite their superior position wrt a teacher, they have demonstrated that they are morons in agreeing to uphold a policy which, in effect, makes marks meaningless.

One thing I never did get was a 0% mark. The closest I came was in my high school French class when I got a 5% for my in class work. Needless to say the teacher and I didn't get along as I challenged her idiotic pedagogy and refused to memorize inane dialog which was supposed to get us to learn another language. Fortunately, those were the days of provincial exams in Alberta and my final mark in that subject was 68%; my lowest provincial exam mark by far but high enough to pass. Back then 0% was a valid mark on the Alberta provincial exams.

Pilgrim (The good news is, while these products of the public school system might want your stuff at some point, they won't be smart enough to take it from you.)

They won't have to be smart. There will be lots of groups infiltrating government who will only be too happy to take it from you and give to the zeroes.

This is assessment policy for the school at which Mr. Dorval teaches. It's the usual verbiage.

You can read it for yourself but here is a passage relating to incomplete assignments: (You would think that everything in that missive could be communicated with a simple "zero". If the teacher's expectations are clear--then why the prolonged hand-wringing and persuasion routine? Why not just "zero"? I think students, parents and teachers understand that perfectly well.)

6.0 Work Not Handed In/Incomplete Work
Teachers will assign clear deadlines and expectations for assignments and other learning activities related to their course. Students are asked to record these deadlines, and organize their time appropriately for the completion of these tasks. Should an assignment not be completed on time, or an exam is missed due to illness, the teacher will arrange an alternate time when the student can complete the assignment. A behaviour code will be entered in the mark book until the assignment is completed. Timely communication from students and their parents regarding any extenuating circumstances (e.g. illness, family crisis) will be considered if a deadline cannot be met. The following is a brief outline of Ross Sheppard’s intervention plan to ensure that all work is completed:
6.1 Should a student choose not to complete the assigned task, even with a number of teacher interventions, the teacher may choose to submit this to the respective subject area’s department head.
6.2 Each department has an intervention strategy to ensure the completion of this work.
6.3 Should the department intervention plan fail to convince the student of the gravity of completing this task it will be referred to Ross Sheppard Administration. At specific intervals throughout the year, an ASW (Administration Supervised Writing) session is held where students MUST attend to complete these assignments. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
If a student does not submit enough material to provide an accurate description of his or her achievement, the progress report may indicate ‘unable to evaluate’. Such a code note indicates that the teacher is unable to assess the student’s progress in the course.

http://shep.epsb.ca/images/stories/Assessment_Policy_2011-12.pdf

As if life isn't complicated enough, here are the codes used to describe the various behaviors. Someone has WAY too much time on his hands.

5.4 Assessment Descriptors: Teachers may use one of the following codes to describe a student’s achievement, lack of participation, or behavior related to the completion of an assigned task. These may be used in a formative situation to provide feedback or summative as a description of why an assigned task is incomplete. Any codes identifying a behavior rather than an achievement indicates that follow up with the student is warranted.
OMI – Omit LDI – Learned/Demonstrated Informally
MPA – Missed Performance Assessment NC – Not Completed
AMP – Academic Malpractice VAC – Vacation
NHI – Not Handed In ABS – Absent
CNA – Chose Not to Attempt EXC – Excused
SKIP – Skip ELT – Elite Athlete
EE – Exceeding Expectations ME – Meeting Expectations
WT – Working Towards Meeting Expectations NM – Expectations Not Met
This added level of information can provide another resource for teachers and parents to support learning. For a full description of codes used please visit shep.epsb.ca.

The zeros are the school board.

They sure have raised the standard; back in my day almost anyone could get a zero.

They can't be bothered to hide their apathy and lack of interest in educating our youth, the no zero policy ensures teachers no longer have to mark 40 assignments at once they get an entire year to get around to marking the assignments.

Giving marks for showing up is like voting "present" like president zero.

...and sheltering the nanny-coddled little quislings from the consequences of narcissistic sloth, and underachievement nets them/us exactly what??

This gen of PC indoctrinated uber-kinder will probably never face the stark consequence of personal failure until their first marriage or relationship implodes due to the egotist indoctrinating they got in their formative years - then what - off to the mall for a mass killing to salve their disappointment?

Frik, social engineering pedagogues pee me off - and in many ways they are responsible for much of the dysfunction in society as they have left the educating roll to be a toxic "co-parent".

Stick a fork in 'em, they're cooking too many young brains with their neurotic psycho-training.

cannot use zero as a grade

but is ok to elect one

our civilization is in deep trouble

Posted by: Fred at August 31, 2012 2:27 PM

He couldn't give him a 0.1 mark,as that would be above zero,and therefore he could move on to the next grade.Which means in real life he is only 3 grades behind where he should be.And will have no ability at all to figure out how many extra fries he should add.

Bah! Their parents aren't any better. This June we took a river cruise on the Volga with 200 others, mostly from Canada and the US. Most of the Canadians seemed to be from Alberta or BC. We were the only Newfs, more the pity. Obviously the passengers were somewhat well-heeled, and not even stupid or particularly ignorant; the perfect parents for Occupy youth.

What can I say, except that a third of the 200 were scum, a third were dregs, and maybe a third were reasonable and apparently decent.

Corrupt branches are sprung from rotten trunks.

How do you mark something that isn't there?

The morons want to "Antigonish" him.

Kate might I suggest this:

http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products/tanks-2/bmp-1--bvp-1--75#currency=USD

Its a bargain and just think how useful it would be during deer season, or checking oil wells.

Rita @ 2:55 They won't have to be smart. There will be lots of groups infiltrating government who will only be too happy to take it from you and give to the zeroes.

In that case I'll do what my ancestors in England did for nearly a thousand years: take my wealth offline and hide it. If they don't know you have it and can't see it, they can't take it from you.

Mugs, those are good for killing mosquitoes also. Furthermore they have a built in smoke making device.

"How do you mark something that isn't there?

Posted by: Osumashi Kinyobe at August 31, 2012 8:28 PM "

Jeessshhh Osumashi,get with the pogra...er...program.It doesn't matter whether they were there or not,it was the little dears intentions which matter.I'm quite sure that after their joint and a bit of graffitti,maybe even shakedown a bum,they would have got right onto the project!
Don't blame the kids.They are only doing what they have seen and have been "taught" by so-called teachers.You show up,you get paid,no matter what an a&&wipe you are.You show up,you pass.

Having spent my entire working life in education I could see this kind of attitude and nonsense coming well over a decade ago. My admiration goes out to him for deciding to fight these power trippers. Similar stupid ideas were one of the leading reasons I decided to retire a few years ago.

I fear for the lack of intellectual skills in the coming generation but then this is what the left elite wants, people to ignorant about everying to know that they're being led around by the nose.

No zeros, no raises. Baring that maybe its time we broke up this Monopoly with anti-trust like laws. It works in business. To many perverts now rule this roost. Too many administrators who live in a World of fiction.

"... which school management sees as a discipline issue, not an academic one"

Here's more evidence that we need a voucher system. If there were competition between schools that gave zero marks and schools that treated it as a "discipline issue, not an academic one", then the parents could vote with their dollars and maybe one or the other would go out of business. Or not; there are probably parents on both sides of the issue too.

nothing from nothing leaves nothing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_DV54ddNHE

Hasn't anyone wondered why the union hadn't gone to bat for Mr. Dorval? Simple, the "no zero" policy is a push by the unions.

Stupid lazy people are easier to recruit by the unions than are intelligent productive people.

Making sure there are lots of stupid lazy people means increasing union membership.

Mr. Dorval went against union policy. The school board and administration is just caving into union demands.

I don't think that anyone has addressed the actual argument the school administration is making: namely, that failure to hand in an assignment is not an academic, but a discipline issue. Osumashi Kinyobe has come closest by asking how one marks (academically) a paper or quiz that isn't there.

One can dispute the decision of the school board to vest all disciplinary authority in the school administration, and one can certainly question their approach to discipline in this matter, but their basic distinction is reasonable.

Taking part in a radio phone-in show not long ago, one of the callers related that he was given a string of zero marks for not doing all of the assigned mathematics homework, even though his performance on all tests, examinations, and papers was exemplary. Presumably, the teacher wanted to "teach the student a lesson", but it was not a lesson in mathematics.

Sorry Im bright but lazy still amounts to a zero.
I really have to question those that think kids these days need a break(just because they breath and take up space).I know the following statement isn't very spockish of me,but we'd best find the stomach as a society to deliver a good old fashioned kick in the arse.

Sorry Im bright but lazy still amounts to a zero.
I really have to question those that think kids these days need a break(just because they breath and take up space).I know the following statement isn't very spockish of me,but we'd best find the stomach as a society to deliver a good old fashioned kick in the arse.

sorry for the double post (I wish I kept my blackberry)

Roseberry, I can agree with you about the distinction between a disciplinary and academic issue. I have never agreed with marks for attitude or general brown-nosing. If there was a discipline problem, it needed to be dealt in a different way.

The teacher, in interviews and previous reports, indicated that the students had the opportunity to make up the zero--that they could submit the work. He used the zero as a wake up call and he seemed to be able to handle his own disciplinary problems--at least as well as the long drawn out tedious process outlined in the assessment policy. What's the difference between a "zero" and a code (NHI - not handed in)? I suggest the zero is more likely to get attention. People understand zero--parents understand it and students understand it.

It's true you can't evaluate something that isn't handed in. But if the requirements are that work must be handed in--and it isn't--counting it as a zero seems quite fair, especially if the student is given the opportunity to make it up. It boils down to making your expectations clear from the start. Ultimately the province requires that every evaluation be expressed as a number. That's pretty arbitrary when you are marking such subjects as art--yet you must provide a number. So how else do you quantify work that has not been done? And if that's how the Province accords grades, why not let the students experience this while there is still a chance to do something about it?

It's suggested in the interviews and reports that I have seen, that the policy was criticized by others and that the Board is going to review it. But in the meantime, they have decided to make an example of this man because he showed them up. This is a vendetta--not an educational issue.

There is a long-standing (and not admirable) practice of transferring difficult or incompetent teachers around the school system. Schools are prepared to tolerate no end of malfeasance as long as it can be hidden away, but administrators cannot tolerate being made to look like fools.

I meant to add that Mr. Dorval seems to be a competent and respected teacher. The schools can use as many of those as they can get. The use of fear tactics to stifle discussion is not beneficial to education. This man is successful--obviously his opinions and practices have value. Instead of demonizing him, it would seem more productive to listen to him.

Here is an object lesson of why education seems so resistant to positive change. See what happens to the person who speaks out? It doesn't matter that he's a good teacher and that his policies work for his students and that the students and parents respect him. He dared to challenge the ones in charge and therefore, he will be made an example of. What teacher with a family to support who is midway through his career will dare do the same--even for something he knows would be better for his students?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/back-to-school/why-kids-need-to-fail-to-succeed-in-school/article4513436/?page=1

Long article but very interesting.

Geez, you'd think it was some kind of sacrilege to give a kid a zero. Is nothing sacred?

Of course, Justthinkin.