Santa is alive and well in 2nd grade

We were discussing family traditions today and one of my 2nd graders said his favorite tradiont was Santa bringing gifts to his house.
It was a small thing but it still made my day.

$20 = a better grade

This article hit the Drudge Report this morning and is undoubtedly going to get much more ink as a result.

Here's a quick summary from the Charlotte News Observer:

"A $20 donation to Rosewood 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.

Susie Shepherd, the principal, said a parent advisory council came up with the idea, and she endorsed it. She said the council was looking for a new way to raise money.

Shepherd rejected the suggestion that the school is selling grades. Extra points on two tests won't make a difference in a student's final grade, she said.
It's wrong to think that "one particular grade could change the entire focus of nine weeks," Shepherd said.

This is the kind of wrong-headed decisions that our "educational leaders" make that make my job, actually teaching much harder to do. Thanks.

Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/185460.html