FES
Today's topic is the trials of a poor foreign exchange student (FES). It is also a lesson to any readers out there who may end up as VPs or principals of a school...or frankly in any management position - don't dig your heels in without fully considering the request!
Okay, what went on? FES is from Japan and she finished grade 10 there last year. She intends to do grade 11 and 12 in Fredericton and graduate at the end of next school year. Unfortunately, a mix up occurred. Depending on whose story you believe, either her mother read the form wrong, or it took too long to be processed or it was misread here. But the end result was that somebody took a question that said "What grade did you last complete" and read it as "What grade do you want to complete". The entry was a 10, so they placed FES in all grade 10 courses (including my grade 10 math), despite the fact that she was grade 11 age and had already taken the grade 10 courses in Japan.
When FES learned of this at the start of the year, she went to speak to the VP responsible for all FES's (this VP is the object of our lesson). The VP looked at her file and said "No, it says here Grade 10, quit bothering me." Not to be deterred, FES next visited her guidance counsellor and explained the situation. The guidance counsellor visited the same VP and was told "No, it says here Grade 10, and I already told her that. Quit bothering me."
So poor FES slogged through grade 10 math for the second straight year, bored to tears and earning a 99 in the course (she is a great student). My cooperating teacher asked her what her story was and heard her tale. So he went to talk to the same VP, who said "My god, we've already looked into this in great detail - the form says grade 10, quit bothering me." My cooperating teacher pointed out that she was acing every single test because she'd already taken the material in Japan. The VP blustered "Well, it must be her lack of English then". Not quite. FES has lived in the US for five years and her English, both spoken and written, is better than 95% of our class. Finally, the VP fell back on "We can't change the form and it's too late in the year to change any courses. Now quit bothering me."
Fortunately, my cooperating teacher doesn't take no for an answer...but he's a bit sneaky. We started trying to get FES to complete the entire year of grade 10 math by the January exam, so we could at least move her to grade 11 math in second semester. Then he went to the VP in charge of math and science (fortunately a different one than the one in charge of FES's) and plead her case again, this time with a folder full of her perfect test scores. VP talked to VP, the stubborn one caved, and the next thing you know we're being told "Hurry up and move this girl into grade 11 math right this instant, before the end of semester. She has to earn enough credits to graduate on time in a year and a half!"
*sigh* At least things have worked out for FES, who is truly the most agreeable student I have met in my six weeks at the school. But man, she must think the school is totally incompetent...and I certainly learned some lessons about how to handle stubborn VPs!
Okay, what went on? FES is from Japan and she finished grade 10 there last year. She intends to do grade 11 and 12 in Fredericton and graduate at the end of next school year. Unfortunately, a mix up occurred. Depending on whose story you believe, either her mother read the form wrong, or it took too long to be processed or it was misread here. But the end result was that somebody took a question that said "What grade did you last complete" and read it as "What grade do you want to complete". The entry was a 10, so they placed FES in all grade 10 courses (including my grade 10 math), despite the fact that she was grade 11 age and had already taken the grade 10 courses in Japan.
When FES learned of this at the start of the year, she went to speak to the VP responsible for all FES's (this VP is the object of our lesson). The VP looked at her file and said "No, it says here Grade 10, quit bothering me." Not to be deterred, FES next visited her guidance counsellor and explained the situation. The guidance counsellor visited the same VP and was told "No, it says here Grade 10, and I already told her that. Quit bothering me."
So poor FES slogged through grade 10 math for the second straight year, bored to tears and earning a 99 in the course (she is a great student). My cooperating teacher asked her what her story was and heard her tale. So he went to talk to the same VP, who said "My god, we've already looked into this in great detail - the form says grade 10, quit bothering me." My cooperating teacher pointed out that she was acing every single test because she'd already taken the material in Japan. The VP blustered "Well, it must be her lack of English then". Not quite. FES has lived in the US for five years and her English, both spoken and written, is better than 95% of our class. Finally, the VP fell back on "We can't change the form and it's too late in the year to change any courses. Now quit bothering me."
Fortunately, my cooperating teacher doesn't take no for an answer...but he's a bit sneaky. We started trying to get FES to complete the entire year of grade 10 math by the January exam, so we could at least move her to grade 11 math in second semester. Then he went to the VP in charge of math and science (fortunately a different one than the one in charge of FES's) and plead her case again, this time with a folder full of her perfect test scores. VP talked to VP, the stubborn one caved, and the next thing you know we're being told "Hurry up and move this girl into grade 11 math right this instant, before the end of semester. She has to earn enough credits to graduate on time in a year and a half!"
*sigh* At least things have worked out for FES, who is truly the most agreeable student I have met in my six weeks at the school. But man, she must think the school is totally incompetent...and I certainly learned some lessons about how to handle stubborn VPs!
posted by Mr. G. at 10:42 p.m.
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