Just wanting to clarify - I assumed that these C grades happened in the 2nd semester of her junior year, but you wrote that she explained it on her UC application (this Oct/Nov) ‘as it was unfolding’ so are these C grades from 1st semester senior year? If so, she wouldn’t be reporting these to the UC’s until after she gains admission, and in that case she would be fine.
I understand your desire for revenge (using social media to disparage the school) but I would caution you against this, not only because I doubt what you have to say would necessarily dissuade someone from enrolling their student, but also because it ultimately won’t change your daughter’s circumstance, nor will it bring you any peace. But I get that you are mad now, and I commend you for venting here.
If your student had otherwise strong grades and EC’s going for her, she is sure to find herself in the right place come next fall. I hope her health and prospects improve in the days ahead.
This is a good point. Is the school on a block schedule? Are the Cs final grades in the class or does she have a chance to make up for them as the class continues in the second semester?
Also @roycroftmom’s point about a standardized test score for non UC schools is on point. If there is another way to demonstrate her abilities in the subjects it will back up her claim that she should have gotten higher grades. If she has any ECs that relate to those C classes that could help too.
I’m sorry this happened. Did she speak to the teachers she protected from the flu? Seems like they should’ve been sympathetic and appreciative.
However, if the C grades drop her senior year GPA to below 3.0, that risks rescission by UCs, since UCs typically have conditions of admission that require in-progress courses to be completed with at least a 3.0 GPA (and no D or F grades).
Perhaps, and obviously tone matters, but my guess is that most prospective parents would not assume the policy, which does not seem to be unique to private/parochial schools, would ever apply to their student.
Keep in mind that the OP has repeatedly said that this is a Catholic HS receiving no federal funds. Further posts that are off-topic, including what your public school does, are subject to deletion without comment.
My kids went to Catholic grade school in Colorado and catholic high school in California. They are very clear about the rules and the number of classes you can miss and for what reason. They don’t have spec ed classes, nurses at the schools, the ability to have teachers prepare packets in advance if you are going away for a week (or even a day). The rule was you made up the work when you got back, not that the teacher had to work up a packet before you left. Many a wealthy parent was angry about that, because 'how much would it take for the teachers to get ahead a little?" Well a lot since it is one tennis player this week and one family vacation that week and sickness for another family. The only real exception was a girl who had cancer and honestly she just didn’t make up the work and died in October of 5th grade. One family left the school because they missed so much because of sports and when the girl who was the same age as my kids started hs at the catholic jesuit school, she only lasted a year before she withdrew. It worked for her brother who was a top ranked tennis player, but not for her with skiing.
I had no power at either school so my kids always went to school and we didn’t miss for vacations (a half day when we went to China for 10 days as I planned around Easter/spring break). More powerful families had more wiggle room to miss a day for ‘family events’ or sports or illness, but not the paupers. Also, my kids had IEPs and the school did nothing to implement them, but some individual teachers were helpful.
@Kalanamc is getting a lot of great suggestions on this thread. There are a few posts insinuating that students who make up tests due to illness/disability are more likely to cheat, are creating an unreasonable burden on their teachers, and are likely to be asked to leave their academic programs in the future.
@Kalanamc I hear you. I know what it’s like to have a high-achieving, compassionate, conscientious daughter who has a chronic (invisible) illness, through no fault of her own. I hope your daughter’s school bends and allows her to make up the rest of her work. However, if they don’t, I bet this won’t hold her back one bit. Neither will the judgement from those who don’t understand. She has everything it takes to succeed, and she will. Very best wishes.
I havent seen any sign of suuch insinuations. I think most posters are trying to help with damage control in an otherwise hard situation. It seems unlikely the OP will get the school to change, and what other schools would have/could have done is irrelevant. Three low grades, in either junior or senior year, could materially impact the student’s college acceptances, and it is reasonable to suggest ways to potentially mitigate that.
@roycroftmom I agree that the majority of posters have been understanding and given the OP very useful suggestions, as you have. Only a couple posts sent a negative message about people who are forced to miss class due to illness and/or disability. I will edit my post to reflect that.
My senior got covid in September fo the first time. It was the third week of school. Basically when teachers are getting into the nitty gritty right before first tests of the trimester. Doctor said keep him home 5 days. So even though I knew he felt better on the second day, I kept him home all week. I was also on the phone with the school nurse on that very first day about this situation and how it would affect him. I knew it would be bad because he was taking AP calc and AP econ. I also, under her advisement, emailed those teachers and guidance counselor about what to do. I knew this was a disaster unfolding and I wanted to get ahead of it. Meanwhile, everyone else had covid and just kept going to school apparently.
The problem was he had to take his first tests when he returned and he had no way to learn the week of material since he had missed the lectures. So my straight A junior sure enough got two Fs on his first two tests. He has been clawing his way out of that hole all trimester. Ended with 2 Cs. He had 100s on all homeworks and did fine on quizzes. Next test grades were Bs. He had worked his butt off. However, he has 2 Cs on his report card. And what I so desperately tried to avoid on day 1 ended up happening. He was deferred at his number 1, Tennessee. They want to see those grades… his worst grades ever. He’s never had a C before. DIrect correlation between staying home sick so he wouldn’t infect other kids and low grades on his report card. It’s not fair. And I don’t see how he’ll get accepted when this trimester’s grades are meant to help not hurt. These hurt! And it’s clearly not his fault. I’m so angry at the school. They gave him zero guidance on how to learn the material before he took the tests. He knew he would fail being tested on material he never learned and he did. And it wil likely cause him his first choice school. If anyone has any ideas here, I’d love to hear them!
I am so sorry @rgymom. Did he get homework assignments? Did they have a textbook or accessible reading materials? I am shocked that schools are not encouraging students to stay home with COVID. FIve days is not really enough in our experience. And even that was penalized.
I’m not shocked at all. Lack of attendance - excused or not - affects a schools accreditation. I am pretty certain it’s in the NCLB act. It’s definitely part of the VA law. That’s going to be a school administration’s first priority. Not to the individual student. A teacher might care about the student, but the school system has to have that accreditation. (And FWIW I do not agree with it all either. But unless the law is changed, that’s how the rules are.)
I am more surprised that the teachers weren’t more sympathetic and accommodating with learning the material. But unfortunately what is done is done. Perhaps the guidance counsellor could write to the schools?
Your school counselor needed to explain the timing of this illness and the grades. The unfortunate thing is…these are two very very hard courses, and there really is no way to predict what your student would have gotten for a grade if he had been in attendance.
But still the counselor needs to reach out to colleges and explain. This could help flip that deferral to an acceptance…especially if you are a resident of TN.
It seems unfair to OP’s daughter, but she made a choice to stay at that school knowing the rules. IMO, she made the right choice as life isn’t always about getting all As and making the numbers work but about balance and enjoying the experience. My kids had to go to 3 different high schools and I moved in my senior year. It sucks, and you do miss out on things like being a club officer or cheerleader or getting a good role in the school play. If OP’s daughter had chosen to transfer as a junior, she may have gotten the grades but missed out on other experiences, the friends, the relationships with teachers.
There are a lot of fine colleges where she will get accepted and bloom. She may not get into Harvard or Stanford but may get into Holy Cross or Santa Clara (the catholic high school system has a good pipeline to great catholic colleges), she may find a hidden gem with a program that matches her needs that she wouldn’t have even considered with all As.
Great post. Life isn’t all about getting all A grades in high school. This student will have college options…assuming they applied to a variety of schools in terms of selectivity.
He did all of his homework the best he could while he was home and kept up with his reading. He missed all the lectures. He simply did not know the material and should not have been tested. We asked HOW should he learn what he missed…Crickets.
I know this is hard but as a college professor, I understand why they failed him. You said “he should not have been tested.” Sorry, but at some point you need to understand there are limits of what you as a parent expect the teachers to do. My students can reach out to me and other teachers for office hours and extra help. But its nearly impossible for me to “catch up” a student who has missed extensive amounts of class time and material.
I’m going to say something others might not agree with. I do not get paid enough as a teacher to put in more than the 40-50 hrs a week I am already putting in. There’s days I’m with my students 8 plus hours a day and then spending 2 hours in the evening at home when I should be with my family grading and giving feedback. When am I supposed to “catch up” your child and reteach them material that I went through weeks ago with the rest of the students?
I’m not going to pass a student who hasn’t done the work and I’m not going to lie and mark incorrect answers correct. Accept the lower grade and move on. Your kid will find the right school for him.