school > funding > teachers > sports > students > learning

This is the hierarchy of school. With one year left of high school and five schools under my belt, I believe I have enough experience in this department to have a valid opinion. This week has been a fine, fine example of this. We shall start with exhibit one:

- A fellow student at my school has been given a D instead of a C in a class because the teacher felt "she didn't deserve the C" that she had earned. I do not know how this student acts in class, but if one earns and works for a grade, one deserves a grade.

- I got caught texting (I know, I'm hardcore *rolls eyes*) in class. Ever since, the teacher has a) given me lower grades on homework assignments which are only checked for completion and which I have all completed b)given me lower classwork grades although I have been paying more than enough attention in class and volunteer to answer almost every question and d)took off 4/5 points on two problems on a test because I got the correct answer, but in the wrong way. I guess being able to solve the problem without the plugging in the formula he wrote on the board means I'm dumb. This all may seem arguable but today in class, I kept answering questions and he kept telling me I was wrong... until he "heard me correctly" or else "saw my answer on the page correctly" and discovered I was right. Automatically told me I was wrong. I was right. My grade has dropped from a 3.7 to a 3.2 because I got caught texting (though when he caught me I was only checking the time but was honest enough to fess up to texting) once out of two years of having him as a teacher.

- My cousin, along with half of her class, a week from graduating, was suspected of plagiarism and given an F on a paper which could have kept her from graduating. After interrogation, the teacher concluded that she didn't plagiarize and she was able to graduate. Really, Miss-teacher-who-accused-half-the-class-of-plagiarizing, really?

- The last event that made me question this hierarchy was when I went to see my school guidance counselor about retaking a Latin class. I am currently taking Latin I online. This means that I am teaching myself Latin. Although I have an A in the class, I get Cs on the tests and I feel as though I am getting further and further behind. It is really, really difficult to teach yourself a language using only an itty-bitty textbook. I told my counselor that I have already taken all of my language requirements and over and I am just taking Latin for fun and I would really like to retake the class with an actual Latin teacher we are getting next year. He blinked and said no. He said that the school is already bending the rules for me as I am taking two college courses next year (which someone did this year, and btw, I'm not sure how one rule can be "too many"). Also note, many students in Spanish courses have retaken a year so they would be more prepared for the next level. I asked him "So if I fail Latin II next year, I'm just going to fail?" He nodded. Let us get the scenario straight, I am taking a class, for fun, because I wish to learn. I feel as though I am not learning enough, but this doesn't matter. The fact that I feel as though I am not learning does not matter to my high school guidance counselor.

So there you have it folks, the learning system of the day. What in the world is going on?