I came across this article and I felt a feeling of loss as I feel that very soon we will be losing our good teachers all because we now have a generation of parents who seem to be more interested in enabling their children than teaching them about the real world around them. Teachers are no longer to correct them or give deserved marks. I wonder what type of world are we creating in the future if the next generation is not equipped to deal with it. Read the article below and tell me your thoughts because this is happening all too often these days in our education system. I myself am becoming quite disheartened with teaching at the lower level because of the behavior of parents. It is becoming more and more difficult to teach from the heart.
Edmonton teacher Lynden Dorval may lose job over zeroes
Suspended teacher Lynden Dorval faces a termination hearing next month. The Edmonton Public School Board has a No-Zero Policy. When 61-year-old Lynden Dorval continued to dole out zeroes to students who failed to hand in assignments last year, he was suspended."I have been told that termination often results in withdrawal of teaching certificate, which means I may not be able to teach anywhere," Dorval told CTV's Canada AM from Edmonton Friday.
In principal Ron Bradley's letter to Dorval, he cites Dorval's failure to mark and return tests in a timely manner following his mid-May suspension as contributors to his recommended dismissal:
"Your habitual refusal to obey lawful orders, your repeated insubordination, and your obvious neglect of duty force me to consider recommending termination of your contract with Edmonton Public Schools," Bradley wrote.
Dorval responded that when he was suspended for his stand against the No-Zero policy, he was told to turn in his keys and pack up his belongings at once — and claims he didn't realize he hadn't returned some of the exams until the school notified him of the issue.
"All of this confusion could have been easily avoided by allowing even one day of transition to allow me to walk the new teacher through what he need to prepare and we could have easily identified any missing evaluation material…I turn your own words back on you: If you were so concerned with the achievement of those students, then why did you so abruptly terminate my teaching and replace me with an inexperienced teacher?" Dorval rebutted.
Read both letters in full at the Edmonton Journal.
The Edmonton Public School Board is set to review the No-Zero approach this fall.
"That's why I'm still doing this," Dorval told the Canadian Press, determined to fight both his dismissal and the no-zero policy.
"Otherwise I would just let the termination go through. But I think to keep it in the public mind and eye is the most important thing that needs to be talked about because a lot of parents, even some of the trustees I'm sure, didn't know these kinds of policies are in place."
Those in support of the No-Zero policy claim that zeroes don't reflect what a student knows about a subject — unfinished work should be treated as a behavioural issue, not an academic one — nor zeroes encourage improvement. Instead, students should be given "incomplete" grades when they fail to hand in work. They are then expected to do make-up assignments.
Dorval, a physics teacher for 35 years, claims this approach doesn't prepare students for the real world, nor are students motivated by the more lenient grading system.
"The students need to develop that intrinsic motivation to do it on their own," Dorval told the National Post.
"There's actually no research that backs what they're doing; it's simply a philosophy. I believe it damages students to allow them to just get away with not doing any work. They say that giving out zeros damages their esteem and makes them give up. But in my experience, that's not true at all," he told CTV News.
When the Edmonton Journal polled its readers last summer, 97 per cent of them believed a zero is an appropriate mark on an assignment that isn't handed in.
Dorval is set to appear before the superintendent on September 10th to address the call for dismissal.
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dozertank •
How can you give a mark to something a student does not hand in?...Definitely would deserve a 0, but that's just common sense, which is no longer in fashion.
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TheAntiHarper •
The dumbing down of Canadians! No kid left behind even if he doesn't do the work? Give them a zero! Spoiled punks think they can run and cry to mommy to make it better. Better buck up chump or start canvasing the local McDonalds for a job.
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elea
Hey Macdonalds is not going to want these slackers either they hire many Phillipino staff who work hard with a smile on their faces
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Crys B •
This almost sounds as if the principal has it out for this teacher. Teachers shouldn't have to make up extra work and assignments because some brat won't do the first work. Not only that but what if they don't do the make up work? Give them make up work for the make up work? Todays society is setting up this generation of kids for failure.
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Frank Connors •
"unfinished work should be treated as a behavioural issue" crap. How is letting a student make up an assignment fair to the kid who had to skip baseball to do an assignment? Love to see the kid in the real world when he does not make the burger right because lets be real thats all they will amount to is flipping burgers if you hand everything to them in life. Challenge, encourage, motivate, but make sure they know they earned the zero if they do not do the work
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Brian
The problem is lack of discipline. No one is able to keep kids in line these days what with the "no spanking" "no shouting" "no punishment at all for anything". It amazes me that people expect progressively dumber generations of children are supposed to survive let alone thrive when they can't even be disciplined enough to hand in assignments at school. We're going to have people going to university that have no idea what they're there for. Probably ones that haven't even heard the name of the class they are in. Ridiculous way the world is heading these days.
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pancho villa •
If the superintendent were any stupider he/she would have to be watered twice a week!
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Marianne
But most kids know everything about everything ... just ask them, they'll tell you!
Especially at the "miracle" age of 16, that's when most of them think that they just woke up brilliant, and it all happeded on their 16th birthday! I am so grateful that all of my children are out of high school and the only one left in university is the youngest and he just turned 20. Now that he's helping to pay for his education, his whole attitude toward school and studying has changed, for the better. He was always a pretty good student who did his work but I can definitely see the difference in his assignments and the amount of time that he studies, compared to his high school days. It's nice to see him grow up and be responsible!
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G C H •
This news item has been going on FAR to long.My kid's had part of their education in St Albert,and have since become very sucessful individuals,in their own fields.I was a very invloved parent in their education.Had they been allowed to pass when I knew that the effort was not there,I would have been in the principals office in short order.This teacher is making a fair comment on the students effort,and as such is a good educator.IN NO WAY does he deserve to be admonished for giving Zero's when Zero effort is shown by the student.I,for one would support him,and say that there should be more educators like him
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canadiangirl
@Name - that 10% decrease per day is also what's not allowed in no zero policies. Basically, you cannot deduct marks for a behaviour...the grade has to reflect knowledge of the subject.
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A Yahoo! User •
If students don't do the work as instructed or not at all, they deserve a 0. After all, when I was in grade 9...I handed in a math assignment and got -10/100...the -10 came from it being handed in at the end of class...LOL Live and learn...Hand in your assignments and get help if you are not understanding it! Simple as that!
Kudos for this teacher!! Why should he be penalized?? This world has not only become a joke but ridiculous to the point where you can sue and arrest a person for trying to do something to help others!!! -
Dave •
Once out of school and working, doesn't your paycheck go to zero if you fail to hand in your work, or even show up for that matter?
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bryan m •
Personally I applaud Dorval for trying to put a little responsibility back onto the student instead of coddling them and pushing them through school with little effort on their part. I went to high school in the late 60's, you either completed your assignments and passed your year end exams or you redid that grade. Simple, and I would venture a guess that students of that era were better prepared to enter the work force or go on to higher education upon graduation
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canuck 111 •
Sound like the principal attended one of those schools that passed him because he was granted a clear pass to go and get an higher education with no intelligence to back it up. What else is he to do but to criticize someone that knows that if your a dummy you don.t get the marks It does show that we don.t need teachers and most government are making sure of that. This principal seems to be without vision. Bradley the dunce got his education in the corner because he knew he would get a pass.
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lirechek •
Lynden Dorval - thank you for trying to teach children the difference between right and wrong - and about what is ethically correct. Continued support from me and my family - life is not a free ride - you cannot jump thru life without doing the work to get there .. Zero marks for Zero work = Zero grade..the choice is yours
To the school board and all those that support the "no zero" policy... as a uni grad and entrepreneur that has started and operated companies both here in Canada and overseas, this policy is ridiculous and does NOT teach kids the realities of the real world. Don't get your work done on time, do a poor job, etc you will be fired. There are no safety nets in the real world and this is just another policy aimed at protecting the schools themselves at the expense of students' proper education.
i was a teacher and fought grade inflation continuously to no avail. As far as not attending meetings, if they are of little or no value, why go? Been there, done that!
The best teacher's I've known fight hard for their students but at the same time expected respect in return which in part means doing their share in the classroom to learn what is being taught...I had my share of ne'er do wells and they always ran to mommy or daddy wailing about unfair treatment...things don't seem to change do they?
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