Grades For Sale

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’ seems to be the motto at Rosewood Middle School located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The N&O reports,

“A $20 donation to the middle school will get a student 20 test points- 10 extra points on two tests of the student’s choosing. That could raise a B to an A or a failing grade to a D.”

What exactly are teachers teaching at this middle school? Kids—don’t worry if you can’t study for this week’s math test, you can bring in 20 bucks and get extra credit.

After all, nothing comes free.

The principal of the school, Susie Shepherd, stands by the decision and rejects the idea that the school is selling grades.

I’m sorry, what exactly does she think is going on? That kids are going to look at the $20 as extra credit on top of their A+ and study just as hard? Has she ever met a middle school student?

Even though schools are under pressure to meet demands of classroom supplies and teacher salaries, selling grades to students is not the right way to solve a complex problem. In the end, students are taught that they can buy extra points, not through extra projects and hard work, but with money.

What is worse, we are talking about students in middle school, not high school. These students do not drive and most of them do not have jobs, other than household chores for $3. For most pre-teens, money comes from their parents, not their after school job. And the student whose parent is unable to spare $20, well, they are left with a B while Richie Rich gets the A.

If the school is really desperate to make a few extra dollars (which really how much could they make from this drive?) a suitable option would be to illicit donations from the parents and save the student from learning a very bad lesson.