Today, the quality of education in Georgia went down a notch:
A Gwinnett County teacher was fired early Friday after refusing to raise a student athlete’s grade he lowered because the student appeared to be sleeping in class.The Gwinnett County School Board voted 4-1 early Friday _ after a marathon Thursday night meeting _ to fire Dacula High School science teacher Larry Neace, said school system spokeswoman Sloan Roach.
Neace left the building after the ruling and would not comment.
His lawyers said they planned to appeal the dismissal to the State Board of Education within 30 days. [...]
Neace, who has taught at Dacula High for 23 years, was removed from class after he refused to raise the grade he had given a football player on an overnight assignment. Neace said he cut the student’s perfect grade in half because he thought the student had fallen asleep at his desk the day the assignment was made.
School officials said they gave Neace a chance to restore the football player’s grade. When he refused, they sent him home. He has not been allowed back at school since April 14, when he was told he could resign or face being fired.
Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks recommended to the board that Neace be fired.
“He cannot have a policy that supersedes board policy,” Wilbanks said. “He had no right to do that.”
Neace said he had a practice of reducing the grades of students who waste time or sleep in class. His course syllabus warns that wasting class time can “earn a zero for a student on assignments or labs.”
No administrators had previously complained about the practice, which he adopted more than a decade ago, Neace said.
“What we have in this case is a case of a pampered football athlete sleeping in class and being given favored treatment on an academic grade,” said Michael Kramer, another of Neace’s lawyers. “What we have here is the principal essentially attempting to coerce and intimidate a teacher.”
Expect a recall campaign against the sitting Gwinnett County school board sometime soon.
When I was in grade school and college, I recall several teachers who used similar policies in governing their classrooms and determining their overall grade. Whether you were the school’s favorite jock or not, you were expected to shoulder a degree of responsibility in working toward a passing grade. Sleeping in class was a sign of non-participation — as it should be today.
Neace’s practice was never called into question until it involved a lazy student athlete who was given preferential treatment by school officials for his brawn instead of his brain. Not only should Neace be reinstated immediately, he should also replace the current Gwinnett County superintendent of schools. It’s evident that, unlike his idiotic superiors, his priorities for educating students are in the right place.
Update: Winfield Myers of The Democracy Project has more.
Another example of school boards who have no idea what a classroom is really like. If the teacher doesn’t have the upper hand, at all times, there is no learning taking place. End of discussion from me.
I had “Doc” for three classes. I owe a lot to him for teaching me that determient to others ability to learn is a severe issue. This man deserves his job and I join those who support him.
He was an excellent teacher. Taught me the best I could ever ask for. I went to Harvard University because of his teachings. IN GEORGIA, FOOTBALL IS LIKE A RELIGION. THIS NEEDS TO STOP.