Reading this story reminded me of two incidents of 'academic standards' becoming irrelevant.
The first involves my high school graduation. I'd gotten very good, if not perfect grades, throughout high school and fully expected to graduate in the Top Ten of my class. My high school's Top Ten was the equivalent of magna cum laude -- with highest honor. Alas, when the announcement was made, I came in 11th.
Coming in 11th when the "Top Ten" is the highlight of high school is, in a word, devastating. (Especially as a hormonal 16/17 year old.) What was even more egregious was when an advisor of mine alerted me, a day or so before graduation, that, as the saying goes, that game was rigged. How? Our principal had gone into my e-records and weighted my Publications (ancient slang for Yearbook) grade from a regular English credit down to a -- something lower credit. Which dropped me from wherever (that I never knew) to 11th. The rationale? That the person who righfully deserved the #11 spot "wouldn't be able to handle it" as well as me.
I was young. I lived in a small town. I'd already been accepted to all five of the small, liberal arts schools I'd applied to nationwide. I couldn't wait to get out of Dodge. I told no one about the switcheroo.
Why, I'll never know, I did tell my parents. Except in an incredibly half-assed kind of way. I wrote a note to them in a card I gave them before the ceremony. They read it before my name was called. Afterward, even with my "with honors" (albeit not "high honors") cord, they were proud of me. They congratulated me. But they were mad as hell. All I could say was, this isn't the hill I want to die on. I'm outta here. And I was.
The second incident happened to a professor friend of mine who made the mistake of holding a student accountable for the expectations set out for his class at the beginning of the semester. What he didn't know was that this person's father was a major contributor to the endowment fund. Oops.
What began as drawing a line in the sand ended in him losing his job and any hope of a tenured position. But I'll bet he sleeps better at night than that student.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Your parents were "mad as hell" not only because something was taken from you that you deserved and worked for, but because the principal played "God" in the lives of two young girls. He had no knowledge that you wouldn't be hurt, and you were (though you really don't state that here.)
And you did not mention the fact that years later, the other girl involved talked to you about how badly she felt through the years after high school that it was given to her and not to you. You HAD moved on, but clearly she could not fully do that herself.
How she knew about the change in the records still baffles us, but we wouldn't put it past the principal pointing it out to the family as though he had done "a good thing."
THAT'S how "principled" he was.
Post a Comment