Are you serious?

[Abaru-FP]

I spent my junior year of high school in Germany and returned for my senior year to find the school under new management.

I knew I was in for trouble when most of the credits I'd earned in my international school didn't transfer over, and I was told I'd have to retake several classes. My eye twitched a little when they told me that the incredibly intensive and well recognized International Baccalaureate credits were not part of our schools graduate program and I would have to replace my college level credit with a junior level 301 algebra class. I suffered my way through the ravings of my impossibly unfriendly math teach for 9 long weeks, unable to bring myself to do any more than just barely pass. Not to mention that outside class I have to cope with the new administrations incredibly overzealous attempts to cut back tardys and absences. I'm not a problem child, but I ended up spending several days in ISS and Saturday detention because the bell rang when I was a few steps outside the door. Anyway, exam comes, and according to plan I get an A which boosts my grade to the high 70s.

Now here’s the funny part.

A few days later, I get a report card, and on it is an F. After taking it up with the administration, I'm told that because I failed to bring in a doctors note for my three absences in the term I had a grade letter reduction.

...Lolz, are you kidding me?

They weren't.

I retook the class second term, and passed easily, but was one credit short of being able to graduate. Meaning I couldn't walk in the ceremony, and I have to take the class in the summer. Then I recalled a place where I could vent my frustration, the Dead Horse Society of the PSO-W forums. This brings me to the present, where I sit on a Sunday night preparing myself mentally to wake up at 6 in the morning in July to take a class for essentially the 4th time. Meanwhile, my friends who I had planned to move with have no choice but to leave me behind as college is starting soon.

Why? Cause they thought I was skipping and I didn't have a doctors note that said otherwise.

For the record I spend those three days in bed with the flu, and if I had known all this would happen I'd have been more than happy to hurl my guts all over the principals desk as proof.

I'm bitter, sorry.

[DikkyRay]

dude thats effed up. You should talk to the administration. And i know someones going to correct me, but you could probablt get lawyers into this. You clearly deserve to graduate. And your credits from germany should count, you took the damn classes, the credits should count

[Alielle]

Wow. That really sucks. I'd be severely pissed if that happened to me.

When I was in danger of not having enough credits to graduate high school (due to their own errors), they did everything in their power to make sure that I would.

Sorry they put you through all that. I would seriously think about talking to the district about it.

[isahn80]

It's shit like this (well, not exactly like this, but similar in principal) that caused me to drop out and get a GED. Now of course I wish I didn't, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I agree this is all very messed up, and legal advice might not be a bad thing, although by the time something happens (if anything does at all) you'll already have finished your summer class. At least this cluster-fuck of an administration will be behind you soon. I feel sorry for the freshman at your school!

[navci]

Whoa. This is like a warning to all who wants to participate in an international program because new management can revoke all your credits at anytime without notice. ._.

It really does suck. Having to waste time and money like that. I wonder what sorts of benefit that can come out of this for them. >.>

Good luck.

[KodiaX987]

This is funny. I went to USA with three years of "International Program" classes done, knowing I was gonna move around so long as my dad was alive.

The International school in USA considered my program to be nonstandard and auto-refused me.

The public school that took me in at the last minute almost required to be held at gunpoint before being convinced I was fit to enter 10th grade.

The only time I actually saw good and professional management was in college (which is ironically enough the butt of jokes where I live.) Everywhere else, it was an iron machine that would rather sit on its ass and refuse to cooperate instead of getting a move on.

[Zuenza]

I've been in the program for 3 years so far,and I never knew something that horrible could happen...sorry for what's happening to you.

[LiqourSiCC]

Wow!! consider suicide? just playing im not emo! haha that sucks but its an interesting story!!

[Skorpius]

Your post is one of the most well written posts I have ever read in the entirety of my time on internet forums. Despite your god-awful luck and circumstances, I must applaud you and your sense of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

[TheyCallMeJoe]

*Takes deep breath*

Phew. I should take more caution when reading Rants threads because I usually end up getting aggrivated too. Damn. It's times like these where I wish bitch-slapping the school administration was legal.


A few days later, I get a report card, and on it is an F. After taking it up with the administration, I'm told that because I failed to bring in a doctors note for my three absences in the term I had a grade letter reduction.

The "wut teh fux0rz...are you f*cking kidding me" flag went off in my head, because I knew what was coming next:


Meaning I couldn't walk in the ceremony, and I have to take the class in the summer.
That is complete B.S. Graduation is milestone because it marks the beginning of the rest of your life, and they took it away from you because of 3 days absence and a doctor's note. What. The. Hell. Voodoo sounds real handy right now.

[Kisari]

Well, at least you came to the right place to vent.

If anything your credits should certainly transfer to more than what any American school can offer. If I was in your position hell would be raised already.
*Holds up Necronomicon*

[HUnewearl_Meira]

You have two options concerning what you should do:

1.) Take the school district to court-- there is absolutely no excuse for this bullshit. A lawyer should be able to figure out exactly how much all this crap has cost you.

2.) Launch a media campaign to bring to the public's attention just how much you've gotten fucked over on this. Spread some fliers around town, spend a few days with a sign out in front of the school, etc. Also, your local CBS station should have an "On Your Side" program that will investigate your complaints for you, then let everyone know about it on the news when their investigation is complete.

Either one of those things will put the pressure on them to straighten up; these sorts of incidents jeopardize their funding from the State, so they're liable to take it seriously.

[Abaru-FP]

A few days after this happened I was willing to let it die because I knew taking any action would be fruitless and mark me as a troublemaker to the school board. My parents refused to let it drop as easily, and we took it up with the school board after some debating. The board said that it was my responsibility to be aware of the rules, and that because by attending public school I agreed to abide by them that I deserved what I got.

After that, I have no faith left in the school system. I deserved to pass that class on the grounds that I was knowledgeable of the subject material, and before I had my legs cut from under me my grade reflected that. But my ability to do algebra took back seat to the schools convoluted attendance policy and absurdly bureaucratic graduate program. My parents wanted to take legal action, and I refused to let them go any further. A 17 year old can’t win a battle against the state when the state is willing to ignore the most blatant absurdities to cover its own.

I have about a month left of the class, and after that chunk of wasted time I'll finaly be free to go. Gah, its no wonder why the dropout rate keeps going up around here :/



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Abaru-FP on 2006-07-10 15:56 ]</font>

[Skorpius]

Some people have to learn the hard way that high school is about following orders directions and not about learning.

[Blitzkommando]

That's actually very common. It happened to me just moving from Florida to Ohio. I'm in a similar situation where I am taking a horribly formatted, terribly written, and altogether piss-poor excuse of an online class in order to get the half-credit I need to graduate because Ohio decided not to recognize a full credit of schooling down in Florida. I could get into a lot of detail but it's not necessary. Just remember: You are definitely not the only one that gets screwed over for taking classes 'not offered' elsewhere.