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Hernando Today

Zero in zero out

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Hernando Today

Published: July 1, 2009

Zero in zero out

Editor's note: The following was written to the Hernando County School Board and is reprinted here at the author's request.

Are you really considering giving a point score for not doing homework? Did this proposal actually make it on the agenda?

This is the most absurd idea I have yet seen come before the board. Points for doing nothing! Exactly what is that teaching the child? You don't have to go to work and you'll get 40 percent of your pay? You can avoid doing anything and still receive something.

Superintendent Wayne Alexander is supporting this crazy idea. This is the same Alexander that doesn't even want to be here. He'd rather be in one of the New England states. Please let him go.

The idea that it will hurt the child is ridiculous. When exactly is this child going to learn to support him or herself? High school? College? In the world?

And here I thought school was a system of building blocks to prepare children for high school, college and the real world by instilling in them a work ethic and responsibility for their own actions or inactions.

How about this: No homework and the child has one day to do it with a 10 percent deduction for being late. That could be followed by a 20 percent deduction for the second day and so on for 10 days then a zero. Now the child has the responsibility for doing the work, may actually learn some of the material (that is the goal I believe) and can still earn a grade better than a zero but does not receive 40 percent for doing nothing.

Please do not reward these children for doing nothing. Nothing is zero and zero is what they should receive if nothing is what they do.

John Stansbury

Brooksville

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