Teacher faces sack for writing 'loser' on poor exam paper

[jwmorrice]

C'mon, if he really wanted to relate to his students, he would have written "looser".

jwm


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ack-for-writing-loser-on-poor-exam-paper.html
Teacher faces sack for writing 'loser' on poor exam paper

A teacher in America could [lose] his job for writing the word "loser" on a student's exam paper after she scored a poor mark.

By Paul Thompson
Published: 7:00AM GMT 15 Mar 2010

Rex Roland made the sarcastic comment after the ten-year-old earned a very low mark in a class test at Enka Middle School in Candler, North Carolina.

Mr Roland has defended his actions by saying he was trying to "relate" to his students with their style of language.

The girl had scored 20 out of 100 in a test.

Mr Roland, who has taught at the school for 12 years, apologised to the girl's parents and said he did not mean to offend her.

Patty Clement, the girl's mother, claimed her daughter was now being bullied as a result of the comment and wants Mr Roland sacked.

An online petition titled "Please Get Rex Roland Out of Enka Middle School", has been established and some parents have set up a Facebook page with the mission to "Remove Rex Roland From Teaching Forever". The petition, addressed to the school's headmaster, has more than 100 signatures.

School chiefs said they were investigating the loser remark.

 

[papasmerf]

How do you go to parents and say

I am sorry your child should be held back 3 grades???

 

[Viggo Rasmussen]

It's unacceptable behaviour, but he apologized, that's enough.

 

[tboy]

Totally uncalled for remark. You'd think a "teacher" would have better sense than that?

Discipline yes. Firing? Nope.

 

[Keebler Elf]

He should face disciplinary action as well but not termination. He made a stupid mistake and now the parents are on a witch hunt.

 

[Cycleguy007]

Perhaps he should have tried harder to "relate" to his students style of language and just used a stamp instead...

I'm all for relating to kids, but we still need to teach them a sense of responsibility, and all too often in this politically correct society we have created for ourselves the message gets "watered down"... but calling the girl a loser was a bit much- ESPECIALLY in writing...

As always- just my nickels worth.

 

[blackrock13]

Over the top reaction from the parents, they're bored/scared, but it's a regular thing south of the 49th. I'm not sure where his head was at, but it's not a firing offense. Of course he meant to offend her.

 

[dj1470]

Geez jwmorrice, yesterday it was the priests and religion you had a problem with and now it's teachers and the education system.
Who pissed in your corn flakes?
Or do you always walk around with this huge chip on your shoulder?

 

[Yoga Face]

Patty Clement, the girl's mother, claimed her daughter was now being bullied as a result of the comment and wants Mr Roland sacked.

Expel the bullies ????

One of them many problems with the public schools is all students are forced together

The crud with the students who want to learn .... the homo phobics with the gays .... the dense with the bright etc

This is retarded. Full school vouchers for all and the public schools can compete for the monies with the private schools

 

[HOF]

Fired!

He should have known better; there is no excuse for his demeaning attitude and behaviour. In fact, she scored 20 out of 100 on her test; he failed the student by not helping ensure she was properly prepared. Yes, calling a child a loser is considered child abuse in Ontario, read the CFSA of Ontario.

 

[Aardvark154]

Over the top reaction from the parents, they're bored/scared, but it's a regular thing south of the 49th.

It's not just a U.S. "thing" it happens in the U.K. and in Canada as well.

What is altogether to typical in the current day and age is the parents going on a crusade about the "looser" comment which I agree was quite inappropriate, and not about their daughter getting only 20 percent of the questions correct!

 

[blackrock13]

It's not just a U.S. "thing" it happens in the U.K. and in Canada as well.

What is altogether to typical in the current day and age is the parents going on a crusade about the "looser" comment which I agree was quite inappropriate, and not about their daughter getting only 20 percent of the questions correct!

Oh, I don't deny that. The operative word was 'regular. Mind you given the usual 10:1, maybe not.

 

[emerging44]

If this teacher is to be fired, it should be because he is unable to spell Then again, maybe relating to his students involves using misspellings!

Anyway, the teacher deserves to be criticized and sanctioned for his ill-advised action but not fired. His apology to the parents and student should be backed up with a probation period. Advocates of firing should really consider the consequences before supporting such an extreme response. On the other hand, the parents should concern themselves more with the fact that the daughter scored 20% rather than focusing on the teacher.

 

[mandrill]

I think the issue is exacerbated by the fact that the child was just 10 years old. It makes the comment very inappropriate. Firing is too harsh. He needs a talking to. In the old days, he could have been spanked. Now maybe just a time out.

 

[earbiter]

... he failed the student by not helping ensure she was properly prepared.

Maybe...how did other students fare? Was she a good student otherwise? There's better context in this article: "http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/teacher-rex-roland-writes-loser-on-students-assignments/19398466"

"Clement first noticed Roland's notes in November, when he wrote "loser" in the margin of her daughter's paper. The principal at Enka Middle School assured Clement it would not happen again, but it did, recently, when Roland wrote, "minus 20% for being a loser" on her daughter's assignment."

* Discipline the principal for not putting a stop to it as promised (to the parent), and/or failing to put policies in place to prevent this from reoccurring.
* Discipline the teacher if he was told to stop by the principal--he obviously didn't.

This teacher is obviously misguided, possibly an idiot to boot, but its not so clear that he was being malicious in this case. What I find really disturbing is the 100 threatening text messages--what do the parents of the children that sent these have to say? Sounds like there needs to be more attention paid to (cyber-)bullying by the grown-ups.

 

[dj1470]

Fired!

He should have known better; there is no excuse for his demeaning attitude and behaviour. In fact, she scored 20 out of 100 on her test; he failed the student by not helping ensure she was properly prepared. Yes, calling a child a loser is considered child abuse in Ontario, read the CFSA of Ontario.

OK calling her a loser was dumb

But as a parent of teenage girls I would be most concerned about the fact that my kid got 20% on a test.

Let's all remember that the primary educator of a child is the parents not the teachers.

Teachers spend a grand total of 25-30 hours with a whole class weekly maybe, realistically, dedicating 15 min a day to each child.

How much time do you spend with your chilren? Concentrate on that and not what some idiot teacher said about them.

I once had a teacher friend of mine tell me this story:

"I failed a grade 8 girl on a test. She recieved 35% in math. The mother was livid. Blaming me for all her child's problems. She proceeded to explain that if all I was going to do was babysit her daughter for 6 hours a day I might as well pay her a babysitter rate of $5/hr. I reasoned no problem! $5/hr X 30 students = $150/hr X 6 hrs/day = $900/day X 5 days = $4500/wk X 35 wks = $157,500 per year. Thank you! Please get all the other parents on board or just accept that at $40,000 I am a god damn bargain!"

 

[reef]

OK calling her a loser was dumb

But as a parent of teenage girls I would be most concerned about the fact that my kid got 20% on a test.

Agreed to a certain extent but you also have to realize that the girl in question was 10 years old (whats that grade 4 or 5?) .... Way to make the kid feel like a dumbass...

It's sad how many shitty teachers still have their jobs.

 

[poker]

OFF with his HEAD!!!!


Cheers!

 

[blackrock13]

OFF with his HEAD!!!!


Cheers!

I can hear it now. Careful you don't drop a stitch.

 

[dj1470]

Agreed to a certain extent but you also have to realize that the girl in question was 10 years old (whats that grade 4 or 5?) .... Way to make the kid feel like a dumbass...

It's sad how many shitty teachers still have their jobs.

Agreed.

But I still say at whatever age the responsibility for a child's education is still the parents and not the teacher.

By about 15-16 years old teh child must then take over and be responsible for their own education.

My eldest is 14 and I have told her that by next year she needs to start making the decisions regarding her education.