Letters to Editor - bLetters

We welcome your opinion on public issues, in either of two ways. You can submit a letter to the editor for possible publication in the printed edition. The Virginian-Pilot welcomes letters to the editor on all topics, although concise letters (150 words or less) on public issues will receive priority. Letters may be edited for length, style and clarity and writers are limited to one published letter every month. Please add your name, city, street address and daytime telephone number for confirmation.

The other way is to comment on the published letters in this blog. In this online forum, you can comment as much as you want by using the comment box at the end of each entry.

By e-mail: letters@pilotonline.com

By mail: Letters to the editor - P.O. Box 449 - Norfolk, VA 23501-0449

By fax: (757) 446-2051

Category: Readers' Opinions

Failure merits no bonus

Oct 08

8:05 AM

Re 'For local schools, that grade doesn't add up anymore,' front page, Oct. 5: I've been teaching science in Norfolk for 15 years. The idea of eliminating the grade of zero when work is not turned in circulates with amazing regularity yet never seems to take hold. Thank God. In Norfolk, students and parents have access to their grades every second of the day via the Internet. I am bombarded with e-mail from parents and students if I do not post my grades the minute they leave class.

I also post grades weekly on my bulletin board. Thus, those students who care can and do fix their grades immediately. Homework and alternate assignments are on my Web site. They have until the day grades close to amend missing assignments. Please do not cry about the poor kids who don't have a computer. There are plenty of them in the schools and local libraries.

Michele Baird

Virginia Beach

View 2 comment(s) Link to post

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules. Comments do not reflect the views or approval of The Virginian-Pilot or this Web site. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment to alert an editor. Repeat offenders will be denied automatic posting privileges.

I was always amazed

Submitted by am81430 on Thu, 10/09/2008 at 8:27 pm.

as long as you turned in a paper at UVA, you received at least, a D. The fact that one will not receive a zero for work not turned in drives me up the wall. One does not go to school to receive a degree/diploma, you earn it...

report violation

No work = no grade

Submitted by steveh3 on Thu, 10/09/2008 at 9:30 am.

Hard work coupled with responsible decision making is rewarded either through good grades or good wages. If students aren't taught at an early age that there are consequences for failing to understand those two things, we cultivate a society of people who think that they should also get paid for not working, or get a $400k home on a McDonalds income. Recent events show that we already have too many of those people living among us.

report violation