NO MEANS NO!
A young man, we will call him Victor, wanted to run for Head Boy at his high school. There were certain requirements that he had to make in order to be considered, including having a 3.0 gpa or higher. There were other elements, including making sure students had good attendance, and didn't have any discipline issues. Being Head Boy is an honor and a lot of work that requires students to miss class, attend events outside of the school day, and most importantly, someone who will be role model for the school. They are ambassadors and set an example for other students to follow.
Victor submitted his application and video about why he should be considered to be in the running. His video was rather amusing, however, his gpa did not meet the criteria of a 3.0. His was a 1.9. Maybe he didn't read the part about the requirements. He received an email from the committee that thanked him for his application, but he did not meet the benchmark of grade point average. It should have ended there. However, within 5 minutes later, he wrote back asking if he could still be considered. "If I get my gpa up to a 3.0 by the end of the semester, can I still be considered? I'll work extra hard, I really want to do this." Stunned, the committee denied him a second time. Rules are rules - requirements are requirements. Refusing to accept that answer, he asked, "When was it that I needed to have had a 3.0 by in order to be considered?"
Victor obviously didn't read the requirements or flat out ignored them He didn't accept that rules applied to him, argued that he'd still like to be considered and proposed an impossibility that he could get his gpa up from a 1.9 to a 3.0 in a month...all unrealistic expectations. He was living in a fantasy where he believed he should be able to argue for what he wanted even though he fell short of the mark.
Victor submitted his application and video about why he should be considered to be in the running. His video was rather amusing, however, his gpa did not meet the criteria of a 3.0. His was a 1.9. Maybe he didn't read the part about the requirements. He received an email from the committee that thanked him for his application, but he did not meet the benchmark of grade point average. It should have ended there. However, within 5 minutes later, he wrote back asking if he could still be considered. "If I get my gpa up to a 3.0 by the end of the semester, can I still be considered? I'll work extra hard, I really want to do this." Stunned, the committee denied him a second time. Rules are rules - requirements are requirements. Refusing to accept that answer, he asked, "When was it that I needed to have had a 3.0 by in order to be considered?"
Victor obviously didn't read the requirements or flat out ignored them He didn't accept that rules applied to him, argued that he'd still like to be considered and proposed an impossibility that he could get his gpa up from a 1.9 to a 3.0 in a month...all unrealistic expectations. He was living in a fantasy where he believed he should be able to argue for what he wanted even though he fell short of the mark.
Not long after that, another student who was also disqualified because of his grades, wanted to be given an exception for his gpa. Although it was a 2.8, he wanted the committee to be aware that he had surgery the year before and had missed quite a bit of school. He felt like he would be a good candidate and would represent the school very well. He was sure that his peers wanted to see him in this role and hoped the committee would reconsider. After discussing this particular request, the committee did some further investigation into this student's records and overall performance at school. His attendance for the year (not last year during surgery, but THIS year) was still low and he had an exorbitant amount of tardies to most of his classes. To be a leader, you have to be a person of integrity, do the right thing when no one is looking and know when you don't meet those requirements; learn from it and move on. His gpa might have been just below the threshold of 3.0, but his tardies told a different story. This was another example of a student who "wants what they want when they want it".
This type of mentality is prevalent in the lives of many school age children today. It's possible that COVID has something to do with it. Students were not held to a standard, there were no deadlines, and in many cases, their grades did not fall, regardless of whether they turned in work. So they learned that there were no consequences for not completing work, not completing work, not meeting deadlines, not being persistent. Hoping someone would give them a pass. They made excuses, and in many cases, they learned they could cry and get their way.
This type of mentality is prevalent in the lives of many school age children today. It's possible that COVID has something to do with it. Students were not held to a standard, there were no deadlines, and in many cases, their grades did not fall, regardless of whether they turned in work. So they learned that there were no consequences for not completing work, not completing work, not meeting deadlines, not being persistent. Hoping someone would give them a pass. They made excuses, and in many cases, they learned they could cry and get their way.
Whether it is the pandemic or their home lives, students are learning that there are no consequences, there are no parameters, there are no rules or requirements that must be met. There isn't anything they can't argue or justify to get their way. Not every child is like this, but the numbers are growing exponentially everyday. Although the wrong things are being reinforced, it is time for parents to take back the reigns of authority when it comes to their child's education.
Contrary to the accepted norms of society, and the misguided direction that schools are allowing students to take, we must be the ultimate of wisdom about how to be a successful citizen. Enabling or coddling students make them weak. The lessons about perseverance, learning, losing gracefully and not giving up all come from mature, conservative leaders. The movie 300, told the story of a young Spartan family who gave birth to a son that was a hunchback. Their son was not going to be fit for the military as a soldier because of his deformity, and yet, the parents hid him, coddled and enabled him into thinking there was nothing wrong with him. He could have made a positive contribution to society in a different way, but his parents were not truthful with him. They ended up crippling him in a different way. He never learned to lose, never had to do hard things. So when he desired to join the Spartan army, and was refused by King Leonidas, he was crushed. It is important to realistically encourage our children and set good examples. Boundaries should be maintained. And students should learn that throwing a fit, arguing or crying will not work. They learn how far to push the boundaries, if throwing a fit will work, if they can argue or cry their way out of situations. The lessons they learn will help in their development of relationship with others. |
Now it seems in many instances, that the teacher is wrong and the student wins the argument. Schools have become weary of holding students accountable for their negative choices or reactions. That is not morally or biblically correct. God's word reminds us about the parameters that all of his children need to heed. Breaking from God's laws ends in paying consequences, and it should be that way as young children are being raised. Whether it is "obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right," or "spare the rod, spoil the child," the Bible is full guidelines on how to rear them to be productive and respectful contributors as they are grow.
Getting involved locally:
There are many different ways that citizens can get involved in the educational process. Schools are asking for participation in many different ways. The schools along the corridor have made school board meetings readily available for the public to watch and participate in. Together, we can contribute time and attention to our young people. Below is a list of opportunities:
-Attend a board meeting (virtual): Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail
-Run for school board positions
-Write your local superintendent
-Attend a board meeting (virtual): Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail
-Run for school board positions
-Write your local superintendent
- Bennett * Mrs. Robin Purdy
- Strasburg * Mr. Dan Hoff
- Byers * Mr. Tom Turrell
- Deer Trail * Mr. BJ Buchmann