NOT making the grades

Sorry to hear that those boys let themselves and the team down.

Geaux Cajuns!!

Grades. Grades. Grades.

We have the same thing happen at our school constantly. There's a boy who could contribute in ways that so many only dream...but he doesn't make good grades...or even passing grades most of the time.

No easy answers...just makes me wonder where those mid-semester reports to the parents were and what steps the parents took to help those boys improve...

Still, at this age...it isn't all parental or teacher involvement that will change the course...the Student must want to do the work.

I always ask where are the teachers and parents in this scene-- why does a teacher let it go so far that a kid fails-- can't they make a call when the first bad grade in a term happens ?--when my guys where in HS I knew by a phone call from the teachers and guidance counselors every few weeks where my guys stood in the classroom but then again I was an interested parent

Mid semester reports can get lost in the mail or fall out of the students bag if you get my drift

It takes more than just the kid to fail-- the teachers and parents are part of it as well and there are telephones and emails etc in our world today.

TRhit

TR, with all due respect, there are times where one can only lead the horse to water but he must drink on his own...
Perhaps this is the wake-up call these guys need and they will be better for it down the road.

'07 Crafty Lefties Dad...

CLD

Very true but I still feel it should not get to the point it did without the teachers touching base with the parents--that is part of the teachers job if a student is having problems--the teachers are right there

TRhit

TR - I couldn't agree with you more.

But one thing I've noticed as a parent of six kids is that many teachers today (and probably when I was a kid too) are very unapproachable. I think the best teachers and parents are those who work as a team, and I don't see both sides of the equation as often as I would have hoped.

justbaseball

Sometimes the parents can make both sides balance-- when my son entered HS I met with his Guidance Counselor, Principal and Athletic Director-- we all got on the same page and they made sure the teachers were there with us as well each year for four years

Sometimes we put too much blame on the teachers and the school system--I believe that if the parents institute the action to work together it will happen--It did for us

TRhit

I don't want to harp on the teachers..but...

I do know of some who "obviously missed their calling" and then I know of some who "have been placed in care of my son with great concern, great skills and true love for what they do."

One of my son's teachers this year sent me an email when my son knew that I was asking about how he'd done on a special project.

Now I know this isn't the norm, but my son was trying to up his final semester grade and he knew I'd be quizzing him so he just gave my email address to the teacher so she'd tell me in advance.

It was nice to hear from her and it was also quite nice to think he was actually concerned with his grades.. (now he happens to make A's and a few B's now and then.)

But I think it's about cooperation. Teachers and parents working together for the student.

I think since I've been particularly nosey since the very beginning - dating back to elementary - that the "accountability" factored into the entire process.

Yet, I still know kids who just seem to fall off the map during their senior year...and I'm not sure what the answer might be...

It probably lies somewhere between "teacher" - letting those parents know early on and "parent" letting their son or daughter know early on.....that poor choices lead you down a path -

And we all need that "crossing guard" to keep us headed the right way...

Just because that teen might be 18 years old - we still owe him or her our support...and that does include teachers (who spend the entire day with my son.)


JMO

It's true that some teachers are better than others at keeping parents on top of what's going on with their kids, but I have to say that every kid that I've known of who didn't make grades was no surprise. You hope they will, but you're not surprised when they don't. If the parents aren't aware they're unconscious. And it's not uncommon to have a kid fail to make grades repeatedly.

D'oh!

TR - I wish I could say our experience was like yours, but unfortunately it has not been in all cases. We are diligent parents who have done things like yourself, but there are many stories I could tell over the last 15 years that seem sad to me (in terms of that parent/teacher partnership) in retrospect. It has not been clear sailing in that respect, and my kids have been pretty good students.

But back to your original point, when a student is failing, I agree completely that it is not just the student. There are breakdowns elsewhere.

TR,

Fully appreciate your point which would relate more to a boy failing/struggling with a particular class subject. I was alluding more to those failing from lack of caring/effort.

'07 Crafty Lefties Dad...

CLD

The teacher still is the first to see the grades and where they lie-- sometimes and early call at the parent means a swift boot in he A-- at home--but then again maybe not!!!!

TRhit

TR.

With the size of the boys these days one has to think twice about that swift kick in the arse...lol

'07 Crafty Lefties Dad...

Amazing to me.... (Recalling the days when I taught.)

...The kid just sits in the class: doesn't do his homework; doesn't participate in class; takes no notes; and, he's surprised when he does poorly on the tests.

Many teachers have minimal expectations of kids. Notwithstanding what many of you might feel, they are not babysitters for kids that are 17-18 years old. If you can play with the "ladies", you can read a History chapter or go to class. Surprisingly, there are some kids that go to school as seniors with a schedule of: Woodshop; History of Pop Music; Study; Gym; Lunch; Civics; and (drumroll, please) another Study. ...and they flunk one or two of the classes for failure to attend during the semester!!!

Biggest disappointment for the kids referenced in this thread....You screwed around and now it is going to "cost" your teammates. How sad is that!

I agree with Beenthere and Texas2004.

It is the Parents responsibility to make sure their kids are doing well in school. They are THEIR kids, just entrusted with the school for 7 hours a day.

Our District sends out Progress Reports every 3 weeks. If you fail on a progress report, you sit for 3 weeks. One class, not two like the original poster.

They are in school to learn, baseball is an EXTRA curricular activity.

Beenthere

I think you are missing the point--- if the parents take the initiative to make things happen the F grade can be cut off that pass so to speak-- I have found that if the teachers are aware of the fact that the parents CARE they will take some extra steps such as calls to the home when the first exam is bad and not wait until the end of the semester or marking period--

Perhaps this is why I was happy to have my kids in NY Schools--no knock on other states but I know that in NY most if not all of the schools work with you--that is why they are rated as they are!!!

My sons AD from HS is now at another HS and we still talk a few times each year --perhaps I am super fortunate but I see no reason why with effort on the parents part it cannot happen everywhere in the country

TRhit

I should preface my remarks by saying I am biased. My daughter is in her first year teaching...at the elementary level.

Just as there are ineffective teachers there are also ineffective parents. TRHIT assumes that the teachers did not communicate with the parents. We do not know this.

The post did indicate the these student / athletes failed two of four classes. There may have been as many as six teachers involved.

It's a tough call for a teacher to fail a student. In many cases it's easier to just pass them rather than go thru the scrutiny of defending giving a failing grade.

It's always easier to place blame rather than to accept responsibility. I agree with TRHIT that the teacher, student, and parent ALL share responsibility. Interestingly, student and parent represent 2/3rd's of the equation.

Very interesting board.
Though about posting..then said no..then said yes.
I have six kids too. A senior in High school A junior in High school A sophomore in high school and three elementary age kids.
My senior. Goes to class takes notes studies is a true "student -- athlete" He deserves all he might achieve in life.
My junior - Goes to class studies when I harp, Never cuts, never gets detention but could care less. Does what needs to be done and no more. No matter how much prompting or "special attention" is given to the situation.
My Sophomore - Cuts constantly, gets detention and in school suspension, out of school suspension. And refuses to do any school work. Counseling, family courts, school teachers principles etc. The child at this stage just refuses to see school other then a "play ground.'
My point is my wife and I try our hardest with the sophomore and the junior because we know what just a high school or no high school diploma will do.
My senior..Will go off to college..play ball (hopefully) and try to get a jump on life. He deserves it. The kids that spent the time "playing" in school regardless od\f how the parents monitor their children deserve what they get in life too.
I struggle with this everyday of my life. I am not pious.
I tell all my kids it takes all types of people to make the world go round.
You can drive that BMW into the gas station or you could be the person filling it up. It's up to you.
I know this will insult some people and that's not what it's intended to do.
To the students that work hard and try "Bully for you."

quote:

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Biggest disappointment for the kids referenced in this thread....You screwed around and now it is going to "cost" your teammates. How sad is that!

---

Very sad! When I think about what could have been with my son's HS team...! It was such a talented group of players...everyone knew it from the time they were 10 years old! Then they hit the difficult teen years ... and substance abuse, girls, grades ... etc.. ruined the "team". Many ended up in "continuation school" or ineligible to play on the team. It's a real crime.....

its outa here

I am not assuming that at all-- what I said was that we put too much blame on the teachers and the system--- I say let the teacher know that you,as the parent care, and teacher will most probably stay in touch-- they greatly appreciate the help

TRhit

This is another circumstance where the
collective "we" comes into play...

Every step of the way - We are in this together with our boys...
Starting first with the grades and
then progressing to the "we" in the recruiting
adventure.

______________________________
By the time you learn how to play the game...
You can't play it anymore ~ Frank Howard

When my son was in HS he did exactly what was required to maintain his GPA to please his coaches and the school Administration. HE never seemed to know what he made on test or how his averages were in each class. So.....I would email his teachers and get his avg. and if it was below what was acceptable in our house, his white Z71 would be parked till He would bring home his completed work and test scores. Always worked for us. I didn't like surprises and still don't. Stay aware of what they are doing and everything will work out. JMO

There you go, '03.

Nice job.

03,

Same here. Either he got at least the minimum grades we required - or he watched baseball from the sidelines. His choice.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and put in a word as a parent of a--shall we say--marginal student.

We have three children, the oldest an '06 who teeters on the brink of not making his grades to stay on the team, the second a straight "A" student who is the darling of all her teachers, and the third a hearing-impaired child who, it turns out this year, also has some significant learning disabilities but who works hard enough to keep at grade level. Our standards are the same for all three and why two manage very well and one doesn't is a mystery to me. Both my husband and I were "A" students and neither one of us had a clue about how to turn a "C" and "D" student into an "A" and "B" one. The 'O6 is a very bright kid with tremendous inconsistencies in his work and work habits--obsessed with one class this week, ignores all the others, next week gets into another subject and abandons the first one--it's been hell trying to help him get it together. A couple of his teachers show some minor interest in helping him but they all have 250 students and most figure that by the time a kid is in high school it's his deal to figure out, not theirs.

But what has saved him, I believe, from going totally off the deep end, is baseball. His class participation, maturity, and general self-esteem really improved once he became part of the team last year, and this year his grades, though nothing to brag about, are at least significantly improved from last year. I honestly believe that baseball is the only thing keeping him in school.

It seems to me that any kid who has gone so far as to try out, make a team, and then flunk off may need more than just a kick in the hineybumper; maybe he needs to be evaluated for clinical depression, learning disabilities or chemical dependency. Or maybe he is just academically immature for his age. In some cases, booting the kid off the team might not be the answer. The kid's baseball coach might actually be the one adult who could help him.

It's my opinion that kids like this are why God created junior colleges.

"I am thankful for my mom, my dad, my brother, my sister, my dog, my house, and most of the furniture."

Unfortunatly we cannot control the direction of others lives, and this won't be the first time your son will be disappointed with a teammate, be it on the field, in the workplace, or wherever. The sucesses in our lives are not based on the actions of others but how we respond to those actions. I like to look at the glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full scenario, and what the remaining members of the team need to do in order to succeed. Kneejerk reactions of how johnny let the team down is human. But, this may end up being the situation that trips the trigger in some young mens lives, whether they're the culprit, or the ones who adapt. As much as I hate to see bad things happen to people, it sometimes will, and the old cliche of "shet happens...deal with it" holds true.

I hope things work out for the team and they are stronger because of it, but, I really hope the guy who let them down sees the light before he makes a mistake as an adult that carries a heavier burden.

As the parent of 3 children who have exhibited a vast difference in their learning capabilities I would like to address this issue from a different viewpoint....daughter #1 has always struggled in school...daughter #2 had to work hard to maintain her grades but did well...son has always found academics easy...I will address daughter #1
In grade 3 she had difficulty with her mathematics...we had a CORE evaluation done which was negative...4th grade she is failing Math Core #2 was done and she was found to be a year behind in Math so I paid for tutors and summer school till grade 7 when she completely fell apart academically and they wanted her to repeat the grade and despite my protests she did(I felt that it was not the answer that was indicated that despite retention she would still not be successful)...repeat of the grade was mediocre and grade 8 was a struggle once again...9th grade was horrific...she was losing interest in school, had very poor self esteem and I was at my wits end...based on the CORE results I placed most of the blame on her(I wish now I could take back those years)at the end of the year she read an article in Time Magazine about ADD and told me that this was exactly how she felt...so I paid privately for another CORE eval and to my horror she was not only diagnosed with ADD but also a severe learning disability in Math...transferred her to a school that had team teaching in which she initially excelled BUT she hated being in different classes than her peers and ultimetly quit school at 17... now I was PTA President for 3 of those years as well as the Cheerleading coach...I had opted to do this in order to have a better communication with the teachers as I was in the school on a daily basis...she was on the cheerleading team and each time a report card was issued it was such a slap in her face because it became an issue as to whether she could remain on the team...cheerleading was the avenue that always made her feel good about herself and as with most kids with ADD they seem to excel in sports...my suggestion is until you really know all of the facts is to not be judgemental of these boys... there could be very specific reasons as to why they failed...remember the saying "there for the grace of God could go I" ...they must be dying inside

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

catchermom...bless you for sharing...it puts things into perspective ...

we sometimes get ahead of things by lumping "all" failing students into categories...

some kids do not have support while others have support beyond measure...but learning problems are not "easily" identified sometimes, especially (like you've probably seen) you can take tests and see if there is a problem when in reality "those tests" don't always give us the answers...at least in a timely fashion.

I know some kids who I can go back to little league and tell you where they might be academically by the time they get to high school...

I also know others who have rec'd tutoring or special help with things and found a way to succeed in the class room.

And yes I know there are those who barely attend, who don't do their work, who slide by...

It's those who CAN and who DON'T that let themselves down and ultimately their peers, especially if it's a player on a team.

It called personal responsibility folks. Don't point the finger at the teacher or the folks. Kids sure as hell let you know when they need help for anything on the good sides of life, so they should be able to do the same when they are in trouble. Don't give them a crutch by blaming others, they need to look at themselves closely. If it really meant alot to them then they wouldn't have got themselves into this situation or would have least asked for help. Teachers have to tracked numerous pupils over three-four classes a day. A student only need to keep track of his/her grades. They are the first to know if they are in trouble in their schoolwork.

It is a priveledge to play any sport in HS. Rules for being able to participate are sent home each year. These rules are there to let students know that it isn't all about sports. Coaches also let the students know what is expected of them.
As a former teacher of yonger children I can only say that good habits are taught when they are younger and it is a PARENTS responsibility to make sure that those habits become lifelong ones. A lot of teachers on the HS level make every effort to go above and beyond their job responsibilities. Others feel with mid term grades and parent access to the HS web site for grades and attendance, they do not have to do more than is required of their job description.
Some kids just have a tough time with the learning process but there are far too many that do just show up and then are surprised when they can't participate. I say where were the parents?
Before I could access my son's grades online, it was EXPECTED that on mid term and report card day it was not asked for.

Here, from the parent of a learning-disabled child who barely got out of high school:

1-Too many of today's teachers "label" the kids as soon as they can. They are more interested in ranking the kids than they are in actually teaching them. If you get the wrong label (as in anything less than a personality-less model student) and you have no chance.

2-Call these teachers on the carpet on this and far too many of them will lie or hide behind an assistant principal.

3-Those who will work with the more high-maintenance students are worth my weight (unfortunately considerable) in gold. But there are far too few of them.

4-Good schools and good teachers will respond positively to what TR did. Too many schools react by labeling the parent a trouble-maker and then label the kid, too.

5-If you're not pushing your child to do better (and that can mean anything and everything to cheering to jailing), shame on you.

And finally ...

6-No matter how hard you work at it, you might not get the result you're looking for.

PS: That LD child that barely got out of high school posted a 3.47 his first semester in junior college. He was disappointed with the result.

quote:

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Originally posted by OldVaman:
5-If you're pushing your child to do better (and that can mean anything and everything to cheering to jailing), shame on you.

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Oh come on, that is the most bizarre statement I've ever read on here.

If I don't push my kids to excel in school, I should be the one put in jail.

There is a word missing there, huh?

TR- As a teacher myself, I can tell you this: many parents don't WANT to know what is happening because then they would have to deal with it! I know that sounds harsh...but I've seen it more times than I would care to count. I have over 150 students during a day, and as a coach, I DO try to keep tabs on athletes for fellow coaches. However, not every teacher cares about sports the way I do. I agree that a teacher should notify the parents in some way - but in every school I'm aware of, schools send home progress reports 1/2 way through that should indicate poor performance, they hold parent/teacher conferences that are open to every parent of every kid, and they have email/school numbers to contact them.
I sympathize because I've been there as a coach, too - lost a great player due to grades. But rememeber: it is the parents' son...shouldn't they care to check before a teacher should care to call?

Son's school has a nice 1-2 punch when it comes to grades. Parents get a progress report AND so do their team coaches.

Coach Knight

Yes they, the parents, should care enough to know before they get a call but it is a working togther that makes it work--No offense to teachers but I truly believe they won't call unless asked to or know of the parents concern--in our case we had not only the teachers with us but the Guidance Counselor, Principal and AD with us and a great school system that cared, not just about my kids , but all their kids

TRhit

All to often the focus is on the teacher...it is a joint effort...parents need to be involved but often times they are "too busy" what could be more important than their child's academic performance? Beats me. The student...get priorities in order (parents need to help them understand what the priorities should be!) Get to work because someday the realities of life will smack them right in the chops and all they'll be able to do is lament that ..I should have worked harder in school.

Conserve fuel...starve a terrorist!

Coach Knight is right. At the beginning of each semester we always went to the school and met my son's teachers, discussed our expections for our son and discussed what our expections were for the teacher. We expected for them to let us know if our son's grades and behavior in the classroom were not up to par. We also reviewed the two appraisals and the mid term appraisal that you get during the semester and if we didn't hear from his teachers, we called them or met with them during parent-teacher conferences. We did not leave it up to the teacher. We had to be in control of the situation. My wife made it her business to pop up at the school at least twice a month during first semester and more often than that during spring semester since we were up there for games. We felt we could not leave our son's future up to chance or up to someone else. Thankfully, we never had any problems with son's academics. But I wonder if that would have been the case had we not been so vigilant.

Just thought I'd pass on this item I heard from a Colorado Rockies Scout while addressing the players and coaches just after a tryout.....

"Coaches, don't call me and tell me to look at a kid just because he doesn't have the grades to go to college.....if he cant hack High school how is he going to hack living on his own, being responsible for himself??. We looking for players not kids to babysit."

"school and grades are important. Period."