Leadership's Future: Parents Prove They're Culprits
by Miki SaxonLast week I wrote that it seemed that change was in the wind for education and parental attitudes that have produced millions of poorly educated and entitled young people.
But it looks as if parents are still in the forefront of teaching their kids that there is no accountability and no consequences for actions such as cheating.
At Ohio’s Centerburg High, in the heartland of our country where, we are constantly told, ethics are at their highest, “so many of the senior class either cheated on final exams or knew about the cheating but failed to report it that district officials cancelled graduation.”
“Centerburg High, with about 400 students, is one of the state’s top schools, with an “excellent” academic rating last year, according to the state Department of Education. “Last year, the school had a 99% graduation rate, compared to a statewide rate of 87%.”
The cheating was the result of a senior hacking into a teacher’s computer, stealing the tests and distributing them to the entire class.
“Superintendent Dorothy Holden said the district had to take a stand and let students know that cheating can’t be tolerated… “We’re not going to put that type of honor out there knowing that many of you are walking through there and you cheated, you lied, you denied.”
According to Holden, “Some students admit they cheated; others said they knew of the cheating but didn’t participate; and others said they had the tests but didn’t use them. One student who used the test still failed.”
Three cheers for Dorothy Holden.
Of course, things didn’t end there.
“Some parents angry about the cancellation are organizing an unofficial graduation ceremony.”
Three thousand boos for those parents whose time would be better spent teaching their little darlings that lying and cheating aren’t nice.
Politicians and the media are rabid about the problems with school administrators and teachers and the public wrings its collective hands at the dismal state of US education.
But rarely do I read stories condemning the actions of parents for their active role in producing kids who can’t spell accountability and see nothing wrong with lying and cheating.
And before you say I’m being too hard on them remember that the parents are your colleagues and these are the kids you’ll be hiring—your workers, doctors, lawyers—and who, eventually, will lead our country, industry and social organizations.
Do you really think they’ll do things differently then?
Your comments—priceless
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Image credit: chris2k on sxc.hu
June 11th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
This seems rather naive to me. Any sensible business person accounts for the possibility of cheating in dealings with another party. To not is stupid. I think that the kid that hacked the computer was stupid to release it to the rest of the class. He had an inherent advantage, and him releasing it is a lose-lose for him.
Of course none of this talk is nice or ethical. So i guess that makes it bad.
June 11th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Hi Z, I’m not quite sure how you mean your comments.
Granted sharing the hacked information was stupid, but does that mean if the kid had personally used the “inherent advantage’ that it was OK?
Is cheating so pervasive that it’s now totally on the other guy to watch for it and all responsibility for the act is a function of being caught?
Are ‘nice’ and ‘ethical’ dinosaurian concepts that no longer apply to society at large?
And am I being naive to consider the parents actions as enabling a “cheating is OK” mentality?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:56 am
As a parent of three young children, Miki, I agree with your distress at this situation. The cancelation of graduation may be extremely disappointing for the families there, especially the ones who were not at all connected to the cheating, but that bold move can serve as a wake-up call and a learning opportunity, especially for those students in younger grades.
Thanks for sharing this.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am
More like disgust, Becky. They still got their diplomas and parental action in providing a graduation ceremony neutralized the bold, not to mention gutsy, learning opportunity. It did reinforce the belief that it’s getting caught that’s wrong, but in case you do mom and dad will fix it—not a great lesson for the other 340 kids.
As to being in the dark, in a class of 60 the chances of not hearing about it, whether or not you participated, are minuscule.