Student Protests

The Technology Academy isn't a charter school.

So it it still "telling?"

was this claim actually proven, or did the reporter just take the student's word? Not that any of our students would ever fabricate the truth, but I would like an actual grade card check done on the alleged 4.0. As for the OGT, it is a very hard test, and it gets harder every year. The students were warned time and again that the percentage needed to pass goes up every year, and that the test gets harder every year, yet many of them don't take it seriously until March of their senior year, and then cry and whine when they fail. It might sound harsh but I have dealt with many of these type students, and I have little sympathy for a senior who sleeps through my OGT class for 18 weeks, and than wants to know why they failed their OGT and can't walk at graduation.

--These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will; in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. -Thomas Paine

400 to pass. I am not exactly sure how they come to that score, but I do know that the short and extended answer essays are on a 0-4 scale and the rest is multiple choice.

--These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will; in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. -Thomas Paine

Who cares about the GPA really. In my high school we had 4.0 students, but it was because they took home ec type classes instead of AP.

Bottom line is she didn't perform when it counted. Better luck next time.

Based upon the weight of the OGT why couldn'd a student opt to take the test as a freshman and if pass just go on to college? I am assuming the OGT covers areas the state deems important for success in the work place.

My kids are aged 24, 25, & 35, and they got a much better education than I did in high school. I graduated in '70, and we were only required to take 2 math classes (most girls were encouraged to take business math & general business). Algebra, geometry, biology & chemistry were not required - or taught unless you took the classes. Most girls weren't talked to as much as the guys were about college = it was assumed they'd marry & have kids I guess. Girls were required to take Home Ec, guys were not allowed to. I wanted to take drafting & they wouldn't let me because it was not a class girls were allowed to take. At any rate - I got all "A's" & "B's" in jr.high & high school, but I told my kids that MY gpa meant nothing compared to their gpa because they were required to take classes I was not (hard classes). Even the classes I took, that my kids also had to take (govt., social studies, science) were dumbed down compared to what they taught my kids. My kids were learning algebra in grade school, and I didn't even start learning a lot of history, etc. until my kids were in school - I got educated through them. What I'm saying, is that my gpa of 3.50 meant nothing. But that is how the schools worked back then - only the girls who showed a real aptitude for science & math were encouraged to do more.

I graduated in 1959 and received the equivalent of a college education in high school. In my family, college was stressed, although my counselor in high school told me that I would not need college prep courses seeing as I would not be going to college.

The only thing girls weren't allowed to do was play full court basketball. As far as academics go, math, science, foreign language(Spanish, French, German, Russian, Latin) English, world history we all had the same classes. I took two years of Latin and two years of Spanish). We had all kinds of math (Trigonometry, Calculus, Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Plain Geometry) we had Chemistry, Botany, Geography, I got A's, B's and C's. I never missed a day of school, we didn't have BIC, suspensions, Saturday school or expulsions. We did have demerits, I know of one student in my whole school career who got 1/2 of a demerit.

We didn't have AP courses, the standards were already high, didn't have tutors or after school programs. As a matter of fact we went home for lunch, had grilled cheese and tomato soup, then back to school.

Didn't have proficiency tests, had to study hard and pass quizzes, weekly tests.

Out of my family, natural and by marriage, we have Pharmacists, Chemical Engineers, a State Supreme Court Justice, Attorneys, Teachers, Judges and a Nobel Laureate, Doctors of Ministry, Phd's and Entrepreneurs.

Our children and grandchildren are bearing the brunt of this educational vacuum fifty years after Brown versus the Board of Education.

My son is a senior at UT & a history major (plans to teach it) & he knows his stuff, but he'd have to think long & hard on that queation off the top of his head I bet. I understand that a lot of this information is fresh with these kids, and not so fresh for people who've been out of school for a long time (thus, why more college grads can't answer "Are You As Smart As a Fifth Grader?" questions). When I was in high school, girls were not allowed to take drafting & auto mechanics, and boys were not allowed to take home ec (although they wanted to - it's where the girls were). Girls could take any math, science, etc as the guys could - but they weren't encouraged as much. There was a talking Barbie doll years back that the Feminist movement was outraged about. You pulled the string to make her talk & one of the things she'd say was "Math is hard". It was just kind of accepted when I was younger that boys did better at that stuff, and if a girl DID pursue a degree that had a lot of math & science, she was seen as the exception rather than the rule. Kind of like the movie "Mona Liaa Smile" (yes, I know it's only a movie) - that focused on young women in college in the 1950's & the professors just had the mindset of getting the girls thorugh college, just enough until they got married & had kids because that was the main goal gor girls - you were expected to get married, and if you did not, the labels 'spinster' or 'old maid' got attached by age 30. I always thought it was interesting that there was not really an equivalent label for guys. Bachelors or gigelos just sounded better than spinsters.

I am kind of torn about these tests though. On one hand it seems kids are pushed so hard these days. On the other hand, our country is apparently far behind many other countries - some with lesser schools & less money. I do think it's good that they are expected to meet requirements beyond what I was required to meet (2 math credits was the worst).

purnhrt - I know what you mean about the demarit thing. When I was in Jr. High school, I got caught passing a note in study hall (second offense) & was sent to the female dean's office where she made me bend over her desk while she paddled (HARD) my ass (In a skirt) with a (BIG) wooden paddle. It was the only time I ever got in trouble as a kid. The worst offenses teachers had to deal with it seemed were chewing gum & note passing. I never once witnessed a fight or out of control temper, or swearing in school. And if you did something wrong, you got punished at school, and got worse at home for it.