Students need to learn the value of work

Laura Friedlander, Las Vegas

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Monday story “A floor for failing grades”:

A grade of 50 for doing nothing? How ludicrous! As a former teacher with more than 10 years of experience, I would have never agreed to such a policy. That it is even being considered by a state school system that dwells in mediocrity demonstrates that its rhetoric to push for higher standards is just that.

I can count on one hand the number of students who got off to a poor start in my classes only to give the extraordinary effort necessary to improve their grades. Were they rewarded for their efforts? You bet they were! The others, who didn’t seem to give a hoot, failed as they should have. Eighth grader Ryan Chahoc hit the nail on the head, saying, “Some want to work hard. Some just don’t. I don’t think that’s going to change.”

There is a difference, though, between students who can achieve, but don’t, and those who, no matter how hard they work, are never going to achieve very high standards. Allowances can and should be made for those students working to the best of their ability.

Do employers pay 50 percent wages for not showing up or not producing? Absolutely not. Nor should our school system ingrain in our future workers that this policy is the norm or acceptable.