T’was the night of the meeting and all through the room
were gathered all passions from excitement to doom.
The sheriffs stood sternly guarding the doors
as reporters with cameras sat on the floor.
The three years were up, the report was now due
from a team to suggest what everyone knew.
The Board was to vote on a policy change
that too many felt was unwise and strange. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Old policy read that a student who cheats
on a test gets a zero – a big incomplete.
But some on the Board felt this too cruel,
much too unjust for a sensitive school.
New policy noted a zero not fair –
it’s a burden too heavy for a student to bear.
So if a student, is dishonest and cheats –
the test is retaken – just a repeat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the floor opened, for the public to speak
the voices were many, some strong and some weak.
But none were in favor of this policy change,
encouraging cheating still seemed too strange.
One quiet lady was small and petite,
until she arose and sprang to her feet.
As a teacher and parent she boomed loudly and slow,
and beseeched the Board Members all to vote No. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One public speaker spoke softly and low,
he too begged the Board, all to vote No.
He once was a student who had trouble in school
and back then would have welcomed this crazy new rule.
But now he has kids who need to work hard
to get passing grades if they want to go far.
But if they get by, by learning to cheat,
they’ll just game the system to land on their feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Board Members wanted the fury to end;
some stared, some smirked, all waited in dread.
For the moment to vote was closing in fast
and some wondered if, this vote was their last.
They were ready to vote and discussion was closed,
and without hesitation, the attendees were hosed.
New policy passed to encourage the cheats,
with Board Members pleased of their his-toric feat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The Random Poet:040422
www.therandompoet.co) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<<<< Illinois Glenbard District 87 school board meeting July 19, 2021-glenbard87.org-serves the four Glenbard High Schools-North, South, East and West in Chicago’s western suburbs; any questions or comments on this post send inquiry to info<at>therandompoet.com >>>><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<<<< Quotes from public comments made at the Jul 19,2021 meeting include for example: “… how, students struggling with their studies, can improve if they don’t receive a true assessment of what they really understand.”\u00a0 They suggested that “… multiple retakes of a test will encourage recalling words that are ‘right answers’ with no understanding of their meaning”.\u00a0\u00a0 Some attendees, through personal stories, explained how these policy changes “could be most harmful to those students who struggle hardest to understand the material”, and questioned “why encourage cheating?” >>>>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"