Today marks the beginning of the third full week of school and things are off to an uneventful start. My class schedule is similar to last year, except for my regular chemistry being replaced by a lower level class. At the end of last year we had two teachers retire. One was full time science and taught all the lower levels of chemistry while the other was both math and science, teaching three regular chemistry sections. With lower enrollment and several department members agreeing to teach an extra class for more pay, we were able to absorb all the sections without having to hire a replacement for either of the retirees. A huge benefit of this occurrence is that everyone in the department has their own room finally. I am free two periods of the day and my classroom is empty both. I no longer have to wander the halls of the school with my laptop looking for a place to work. As a result, my day is more relaxed and I am getting more work done. My lunchtime duty has also been changed. I no longer have duty in front of the cafeteria, but rather I guard a hall on the other end of the school. As a result I am bringing my own lunch and avoiding the cafeteria food. I have already seen an improvement in my blood sugar levels and general feeling of well being in the afternoon. The biggest surprise this year has been my lower level chemistry students. I asked to teach this section because the person teaching the other sections of this class did not want to work with the colleague assigned to be her partner. I had been scheduled for a regular chemistry class, but asked for the lower level classes in order to move the unwaned partner out, maintaining department harmony. My biggest fear was that these students would be discipline problems, making my life miserable for the year. Happily, they are very nice young men and women, even if not the intellectual equivalent of what I am used to. They will try to do whatever you ask them to do. While cooperative and well behaved, their lack of math ability is shocking. Let me give you an example. A problem on their homework asked them to change 2.00 x 10-4 from scientific notation to decimal form. One girls answer was 0.0002.00. That’s not a misprint—she put two decimal points in the answer. When I told her that that wasn’t allowed she stared at the paper like a dog looking at a wrist watch, and asked me if I was sure. With daily help and personal attention from me she steadily improved her homework grades until she finally passed the last assignment with a D-. The next day she took the exam and passed with a D+. The first exam for these students had an average of 81, with grades ranging from 97 to 70—everyone passing.

The first week of summer vacation has been restful and quiet. Monday I needed to be in school to finalize my grades and attend a morning meeting, but the rest of the week has been blessed vacation. My summer exercise routine consists of alternate days of biking and weight lifting in hopes of getting myself back in reasonable shape. But, while school is out, I have had to address several inquiries from parents and students. One of my best students emailed me earlier in the week to tell me that I recorded the wrong number of extra credit points on her 4th quarter grade sheet. I checked, and she was correct, but the added points did not change her grade--which was already an A+. I replied, teasing her about now getting an A++. The mother of another teacher’s student emailed me with a question about her daughter’s lost text book. Students must return their state text book before they are allowed to take their final exam. If the book is lost, it must be paid for or replaced with a used book in reasonable condition. I let the parent know there was a link on my teacher page to a site that sells used books. Several days later she contacted me again to let me know that the book had arrived and would be dropped off at the office for me. The teacher involved just retired and I volunteered to take care of his make-up exams so he could start his life of leisure. Another parent emailed to inform me that I had made a mistake in calculating her daughter’s final grade. I was informed that her daughter had an 84.2% average for the semester which should have resulted in a B-. Her grade had been reported as a C+. She requested that I either change the grade or get back to her with an explanation for what I had done. I checked her daughter’s grade and it did come out to an 84.2% when the 3rd quarter, 4th quarter, and Final Exam percentages were weighted properly and averaged. Unfortunately for the girl, final grades are not calculated using the percentage grades for each part--even though the grading program had reported that average on the students grade page--but rather, by using quality points assigned to each letter grade. The girl received a B for third quarter, B+ for 4th quarter, and failed the final exam. The B received 6 quality points, the B+ 6.8 quality points, and the F 0 points, for a total of 12.8. The minimum quality points for a semester grade of B- are 13.0. I explained this to the mother and she seemed to understand, but thought the method was unfair. I whole heartedly agree, straight percentages would be much more fair and valid, but I did not tell the parent. I did ask her to talk to assistant principal for academics to voice her concerns. To understand that using percentages would be a better way to determine semester grades requires an understanding of numbers--a skill which, sadly, many of the teachers in our building lack. The administration has left it up to the faculty to vote on how grades will be determined and my side gets outvoted by the innumerate each time. I believe that it is important that teachers do not complain to parents about the way things are done, so I publically tow the company line. If enough of the “quality point” people had to respond to parents who questioned the process things might change. I let the assistant principal know of her pending parent contact--she rolled her eyes and told me that she already had 5 other calls about the same thing. I also spoke to the registrar, who is in charge of report cards, about the situation. She is also well aware of the problem; responding to several parent s already. The present situation might be helped if she could block the reporting of % averages by the grading program, but I was informed that the program did not allow that. I refuse to let this ruin the start of my summer.

OOPSIE!

This week my comments concern an email I received through a “Department Directors” group to which I belong. It reads as follows: “Last week, our biology teachers began the evolution unit and on Friday, a student who practices being a Jehovah Witness came to school with a note from his mom saying he cannot participate in learning about evolution because he is a Jehovah Witness.” Most of the replies explained that the parents of students in this district or that had the option to opt-out of certain topics taught in school. These opt-out policies (OOP’s) are common in many public schools. According to the research I was able to do, the most common topics invoking the opt-out option are blood transfusions, diseases, and transplants, objected to by Christian Scientists who don’t believe in medical treatments, sex education, objected to by many religious conservatives who don’t want their children to know that people have sex, and evolution, objected to by those who hold to a literal translation of the Bible. When the policy includes an option related to the teachings of the evil Charles Darwin, it is referred to as an OPPSIE--opt-out option including evolution. I must admit that before I received this email and followed the links in the replies, I had no idea such silliness existed; although, I do approve of opting some students out of sex education--some gene pools should just end. Our state weighs in as follows: Sec. 27-23.5. Organ/tissue and blood donor and transplantation programs. Each school district that maintains grades 9 and 10 may include in its curriculum and teach to the students of either such grade one unit of instruction on organ/tissue and blood donor and transplantation programs. No student shall be required to take or participate in instruction on organ/tissue and blood donor and transplantation programs if a parent or guardian files written objection thereto on constitutional grounds, and refusal to take or participate in such instruction on those grounds shall not be reason for suspension or expulsion of a student or result in any academic penalty. For public schools that have a policy most read something like this: “No student shall be required to take or participate in instruction on XXX programs if a parent or guardian files written objection thereto on constitutional grounds.” I teach in a Catholic School. Catholics do not adhere to the literal translation of the Bible; consequently the whole concept of evolution is of little concern. We teach it now, in fact we have always taught evolution in Biology. I see no conflict. Periodically, a parent will want to meet with me as Department Chairman and try to get “Intelligent Design” included in our Biology curriculum. I always tell them that we do; telling them that evolution is God’s intelligent design. This usually causes a state of confusion, or invokes a mindless rage. In either case, I treat their ignorance with the contempt it deserves. Principals have always backed me up. I really have no problem with an OOP, though science teacher organizations are strongly opposed to them. The main objection being that a student who opts out of a topic like evolution has an incomplete educational experience, prevents the teacher from doing his/her job, and may also impact standardized test scores; but so does not paying attention in class, not doing homework, and being absent from school. More importantly--in my mind at least--it cripples a student’s ability to do advanced work in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; making it unlikely they can ever become a doctor, nurse, engineer, or geologist. That being said, I would still allow parents to opt their children out of objectionable instruction, though I would like to see parents sued by their children later in life for compensation. If a parent can be successfully sued because a child was abused and needs therapy later in life, why not sue for compensation when remedial instruction is needed to make up for holes in your education caused by a parent’s poor decision?

And Now We Interrupt This Program For An Important Message

If you bother to ask teachers in our building, you will find out that many are quite disturbed and angry about the number of interruptions to their teaching time. In the last two weeks (10 class days) alone, my first period AP Chemistry class has been all but canceled by various interruptions on four separate occasions. The first time it was the day we returned from spring break when nine out of my twenty students took their “personal free day.” The PFD is given to students who raised their quota for the yearly fund drive. I have no real problem with this, except where it involves so many students that I am effectively forced to give a study hall instead of teach. The next day I had planned several important review problems, only to find out that the band members in first period were going to meet with the band directors for an important announcement. We were promised that they would only be 5-10 minutes late, and on time if an exam was scheduled, but none of my 11 band members arrived until 20 minutes into the period. One of the English teachers told me that he had an exam scheduled but his students were 20 minutes late as well. The band director has these students 5th period, but apparently the news could not wait until then. As it turns out, the news was important, but could easily have waited until his class, resulting in another unnecessary class interruption. Thursday of that week the third interruption to first period took place. Twice a year, all students who received a 4.0 GPA for the semester are honored in a ceremony before school. Invited parents and free teachers watch as each 4.0 student is called by name and given a certificate of achievement. The process usually begins at 7:30 and takes 20 minutes, returning students to their first period 5-10 minutes late. This year they got a late start; my 9 missing students not returning until 35 minutes into the period. The next Tuesday all the A.P. English Language students (14 of my 20 students) would miss the whole period for a “pre-administration meeting.” In the past I complained to the Guidance person in charge, suggesting this be done after school. I was told that this would interfere with their sports practice, which is apparently more important than my class time. Ironically, this year the A.P. Pre-administration conflicts with students being let out of class to set up for a performance of the school Musical for local grade school students. The powers that be deciding that the play was more important than pre-administration; class time being placed on the bottom rung importance ladder again. Some of my colleagues will never cease to vigorously complain when these regular interruptions occur. I have given up; realizing that my complaints about the need for more class time fall on deaf ears. While the administration would strongly deny this, what I do in class will never be valued as much as what other people do for the school.