quote:

Originally posted by GEmom2:
Okay - here's the scoop as they're telling it at school. ...

What, does your kid call you during the day to give you updates like this?

Dude, it's finals week - last final today - and they're home and gone already.

quote:

Originally posted by GEmom2:
Dude, it's finals week - last final today - and they're home and gone already.

I forgot they only had 1 today. And now they have one of their patented 4-day weekends!

Last final for most ...

quote:

Originally posted by GEmom2:
Okay - here's the scoop as they're telling it at school. The main perpetrator is suspended, and may be expelled. I had never heard a bad thing about this kid before, but this first one is a doozy!

The cheaters had the stolen exam answers programmed into their calculators.

Students caught with the answers are receiving a zero for the exam. They also receive some super-detentions of 3-hour duration.

Students who already took the test have to re-take the test or let the first and second quarter pre-final grades stand. I assume they are doing this since they don't know who took the exam and cheated, but wasn't caught. Non-cheaters are expressing relief at not buying the answers - reports of the price vary from $15 - $80. Someone was offered the answers and immediately called the dean's office to report it.

This sounds to me like it was handled pretty well by D87 - I'm sure the discussions have already begun as to how to prevent this in the future.

If true, sounds pretty good. I still think suspensions would be in order, but I'm not familiar with the handbook or D87 policy on theses matters. IMHO, this should be in their record.

quote:

Originally posted by middlein87:

quote:

Originally posted by GEmom2:
Okay - here's the scoop as they're telling it at school. The main perpetrator is suspended, and may be expelled. I had never heard a bad thing about this kid before, but this first one is a doozy!

The cheaters had the stolen exam answers programmed into their calculators.

Students caught with the answers are receiving a zero for the exam. They also receive some super-detentions of 3-hour duration.

Students who already took the test have to re-take the test or let the first and second quarter pre-final grades stand. I assume they are doing this since they don't know who took the exam and cheated, but wasn't caught. Non-cheaters are expressing relief at not buying the answers - reports of the price vary from $15 - $80. Someone was offered the answers and immediately called the dean's office to report it.

This sounds to me like it was handled pretty well by D87 - I'm sure the discussions have already begun as to how to prevent this in the future.

If true, sounds pretty good. I still think suspensions would be in order, but I'm not familiar with the handbook or D87 policy on theses matters. IMHO, this should be in their record.

What does sticking it on every one of these kid's records accomplish? While we're at it then, we should put drinking, fighting, smoking and loitering on all of their records too. Call me crazy as it appears that I am alone in this one, I would rather have my 16 year-old get picked for improperly having the right answers to an AP exam (assuming my kid wasn't the one that committed theft by stealing the exam) than having my kid get picked for drinking, smoking pot or the vast majority of other teen-aged ills that most on here apparently seem to prefer.

Clam - screw the ethicist, the game this question is better suited for is "Would You Rather?"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GE Fan,

How to prevent this in the future. I don't know ban the scantron tests. These are supposed to be honors courses . Why are honors courses using scantron this is a joke. So the teachers have two weeks off for xmas over a week for finals a four day weekend coming up and still all they do is whip up a scantron test . Is it to much to ask for people who make close to 100K per year to put forth some effort.

Of course they won't do that. They'll make an example of these kids make some stupid PR comment saying something like Character Counts at D87 and pat themselves on the back.

I tend to side with middle on this one. I mean, c'mon. These kids are in an AP course, they are the best of the best. They are more intelligent then the average kid and are enrolled in an AP course to use their talents to their fullest. They, of all the student body should know better!

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd:
I tend to side with middle on this one. I mean, c'mon. These kids are in an AP course, they are the best of the best. They are more intelligent then the average kid and are enrolled in an AP course to use their talents to their fullest. They, of all the student body should know better!

Of course, it's because you hate me. To think, I used to love The Wall.

Just weighing in (I have a junior with friends who were in the Honors class, about to take their exam when, in their own words, "The entire math department burst into the room like a SWAT team!" Fortunately, none of his friends were guilty of the crime.)

I think this absoloutely MUST be on their "permanent records." Cheating on an exam is bad, bad, bad...and, sadly, an indication of character. I think I agree that I'd rather have my child suspended for drinking at an underage party than cheating on an exam like this. And from what I hear from those I know working at universities and colleges, something like this on a transcript is going to make it very difficult to gain admission, and it should.

I know there are kids in these AP and Honors classes who feel pressure from their over-achieving parents to be there, even though they probably shouldn't be. I know that for some reason, in this town - and perhaps society as a whole - average is a sin; if you're not loading up on the AP & Honors courses, having ten hours of homework every night, making mummy and daddy feel good about themselves as parents of such high-achieving students, then you're looked down upon. I know that when my son was doing the college application thing, I almost started feeling bad about my parenting skills because he was only in one AP class - and it was art; we didn't hire a college coach to help him write his essays or grease the wheels of Harvard and Yale; "highly selective" colleges were not on his list of schools; we didn't sign him up for any ACT prep courses, and he only took the test once; and we were definitely not holding our breath for any kind of academic scholarship. And, he wasn't considering a double major, either.

There's so much emphasis on this kind of thing around here and it's very hard to emerge from these years unscathed, both parents and kids, and I think that something like this is a wake up call. There's far too much competition going on for the prize of "Best Parent in the World Because I'm Paying A Ton of Money to Send My Kid to a Better School Than Yours!" Not every kid HAS to be in these classes. Not every kid is an honors student. If somebody's precious got caught cheating, then that young adult needs to live with the consequences of it, and maybe some parents will realize they're expecting far too much from their kids, just so they can feel good about themselves.

Disclaimer - of course, I have no idea if any of the above figured into the particulars of this case. My son hasn't divulged the name of the student to me, although he and his friends seem to think the kid had to have been pretty stupid to try this. So I'm simply making a guess here, and offering my personal observations and theories about some pretty scary parenting that I have seen going on in this town.

But of course, I myself am the perfect parent. Email me, and I'll tell you all about my brilliant children and how wonderful they are (at playing videogames, that is).

Amen, Scribbler! Amen!

Most people are average, but most people don't seem to be aware of that fact! Yes, even here in beautiful Glen Ellyn, the jewel of the western suburbs, most people are average in looks, intelligence and moral character. They just seem to think they have more of the above-mentioned because they can rattle more coin in their pockets! I've been here for 37 years and it used to be bad, but it's really worse than ever. I'm tired of all of it! And I'll be very angry if the guilty parties get away with it! Of course, I'll never really know, but I'll still be angry, damn it! I've got to go yell at some kids on my lawn now!

Oh, and Scribbler, my kid could beat your kid at WWE Smackdown vs. Raw anyday! LOL!

quote:

Originally posted by scribbler:
Just weighing in (I have a junior with friends who were in the Honors class, about to take their exam when, in their own words, "The entire math department burst into the room like a SWAT team!" Fortunately, none of his friends were guilty of the crime.)

That's perhaps the most awesome mental picture of this whole affair. Thumbs up to the teachers. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a wet pant leg or two.

quote:

Originally posted by GE Fan:
To think, I used to love The Wall.

HEY! TEACHER! Leave those kids alone!

quote:

Originally posted by Dinsdale:

quote:

Originally posted by GE Fan:
To think, I used to love The Wall.

HEY! TEACHER! Leave those kids alone!

Thanks for that. I tee'd that one up nicely for you, didn't I.

I am beginning to feel that many on here have some chip on their shoulders re: the parents of your children's peers. And unfortunately, that chip has turned into an unattractive case of little-man's syndrome. Granted, I too am utterly disgusted by some of the parenting I see around this town but why so much anger about it? Screw 'em. It's their loss and it will catch up with THEM eventually.

Out with the hate...in with the love.

quote:

Originally posted by little...way:
Oh, and Scribbler, my kid could beat your kid at WWE Smackdown vs. Raw anyday! LOL!

I'm sure they could, but mine could beat yours at Mario Kart!


Yes, Fan, I suppose you're right - I'm sure there is a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. You live here long enough, and I think it just happens, if you don't happen to be part of the Country Club set. Even if it's by choice. But after a decade or so of parenting kids here, you do get a little tired of the competition. Not between the kids, but between the parents through their kids. I'd be quite happy with my boys playing house league soccer, for example, only to be constantly asked which club team they were going to try out for. Which, if you'd ever seen my kids play soccer, was laughable. It just seemed as if it were never enough to be happy being where you were; you always had to be looking ahead, pushing your kids to achieve something more. Always.

And I remember in grade school when they did the testing for the Gifted and Talented program, how many parents I knew who practically frothed at the mouth when their children didn't make it, and lobbied and demanded that the kids be put in, anyway - it was a HUGE deal, and I felt so sorry for that Gifted and Talented teacher at the next PTA meeting, when she was truly attacked by a posse of angry parents..and - Why on earth? What did it really mean, anyway? How did it handicap their children to remain in the regular classroom? Kids in 4th grade have no idea what any of that means; it had to have been all about the parents. And some sort of label/status thing.

Those are just two very small examples but over time, they accrue, and when something like this unfortunate incident happens, I guess it's a bit tempting to speculate that maybe, just maybe, the student involved was the child of one of those angry parents trying to circumvent the system, so long ago. I know it's not right or charitable. And I'm not glad that this happened, in any way, shape or form. But it almost seems inevitable, in a way.

quote:

Of course, it's because you hate me. To think, I used to love The Wall.

He hate who? Hey Fan, I don't even know you. So no, I don't hate you, just voicing my opinion, not trying to take anyone's side or anything, and certainly not trying to show hatred. Perhaps we can make up somehow!

Well, I have to take back all my pettiness because my son was just telling me that he and his friends know the boy involved and they all are absolutely convinced he didn't know the equations were from the final - that he thought they were just study material. They are touchingly adamant that the boy is innocent of anything other than passing the information on to the wrong people - who DID figure out it was the actual final, and started the whole ball rolling.

Very, very convoluted. But I feel bad, in the face of my teenager's trust in his peer, and belief that the truth will come out. So I recant.

(But my kids can still beat any of yours at videogames!)

Who collected the ca$h???? I'm not sure you'd get kids paying for helpful hints.

Well, yeah, they were a bit vague about that...not sure whether they think the kid at the top didn't collect the cash, or whether they just didn't have a good explanation.

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd:

quote:

Of course, it's because you hate me. To think, I used to love The Wall.

He hate who? Hey Fan, I don't even know you. So no, I don't hate you, just voicing my opinion, not trying to take anyone's side or anything, and certainly not trying to show hatred. Perhaps we can make up somehow!

I was kidding.
Found this interesting.
And this.