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High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades

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clevernamehere
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
I think the whole way we apply to college in the US is totally fucked and lends itself to this kind of nonsense.

In the EU countries I'm familiar with, you sit national exams and rank your top college choice. You have an idea of how good a student you are and probably get into one of your top choices.

In the US, everyone applies to a dozen schools because honestly, you don't have as good idea where you'll get in as you do in other countries. Its an enormous country with kids applying from all kinds of backgrounds and school systems. Sometimes A students don't get into their state university because the grade inflation of the last 10 years mean that a lot of kids have A averages. I think we need to ditch weighted GPAs and extracurriculars and just have everyone take the same national exams. It really isn't impossible, NY state has every student take them same high school finals just fine.
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labyrinthine IS DOING THIS
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
why is it, every time anyone does anything bad EVER, everyone's middle namin' 'em! what's up with that?
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SaraRueful
06/28/09

@labyrinthine IS DOING THIS: I read somewhere that it's so innocent Caroline Susan McNeal (or whatever) won't be pointed at and shunned by neighbors. Or so John Robert Gacy won't be hunted down by parents with torches.
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Smut Muffin
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Grades are getting very competitive now. The thing that drives me nuts are the parents who come in and want to know why their child only got a 97% and not 100%.
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chatterboxwriting
06/28/09

@Smut Muffin: My friend's new baby got a 9.9 out of 10 on her APGAR when she was born last week. My friend asked her why she didn't get a 10. Which would be funny, except my friend's mom is the type to ignore a 99 and ask why you didn't get a 100. So I see the pattern repeating itself.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Did La Mamma see "War Games" and "Ferris Bueller" a few too many times in her formative years, or something?
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Cookie Dough Monster
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Damn, I feel really, really bad for all the students involved. I would have been furious to find out that my grades had been lowered in HS. Not to mention the poor daughter is going to take so my shit for this...

Ugh, this is bringing back my own HS class rank rage. After I graduated I found out that my guidance counselor had lowered my class rank (by 1 spot, but it made a big difference) while he'd boosted another student's by 1). Why? Well the other kid was a pretty good athlete on the sports team my counselor coached... and he wanted to make damn well sure he got into a certain competitive school.

I still got into the school I really wanted to attend, but I can't help but wonder if the rank difference might have helped with boosting my confidence or getting merit scholarships.
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jennainminnesota
06/28/09

@Cookie Dough Monster: I had something really similar happen which knocked me out of the running for Salutatorian. I am still SO pissed.
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Cookie Dough Monster
06/28/09

@jennainminnesota: Oh man, consider yourself hearted as very, very minor consolation. That really sucks. Wow. I'm sorry!
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eibhinn
06/28/09

@Cookie Dough Monster: Universities don't seem to be nearly as competetive here in Canada for whatever reason, but remembering the high school ranking thing makes me laugh. In high school I took all of the university prep/advanced level classes and all of the science/calculus etc. credits while my best friend took all the "modified" level and elective classes she could (ie. the classes there to just get people through high school). She ended up ranking about 10 places higher than me, and acted all fake-concerned that I would be upset about it, assuring me that while I am clearly not as smart as she is, I'm still smart enough and shouldn't feel bad about it. From the lady who got straight A's by taking basket-weaving and home ec classes. Ranking means nothing (although she DID end up with a bigger scholarship than me)
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Tart of Darkness
06/29/09

@eibhinn: My daughter chose to take a very difficult program in her freshman year of college. It was very, very rigorous covering almost all of her prerequisites in one year. It was a group of 30 students -- all really good students in their own right and it was a grade point average wood chipper. She did okay, but not great.

Meanwhile her friend took the simpler regular class route and graduated with a much higher GPA, but my daughter believes she got a much better education.

I was and am proud of her for taking the harder road. For one thing she knows that in the poem "The Road Not Taken" Sandburg clearly and explicitly says that he did NOT take the less traveled road and he believes that made all the difference in his life. :)
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tonightineed is actually Mrs. Ziegler-Spock
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
This is so foolish. Your daughter gets the grade she gets. If you want to help her improve her grades, you help her study, you do things at home to assist her learning. Faking grades and SAT scores is really ridiculous, particularly because she won't have the skill level to back it up. It's like saying you know how to use Minitab and then, when sitting down and looking at your project you realize you have no idea how to get a random sample, much less do some sort of distribution with a scatter-plot.

Just don't. And don't mess with the grades of other students, that is particularly douchey.
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SaraRueful
06/28/09

@tonightineed is actually Mrs. Ziegler-Spock: I tried for years before finally getting a job in France. One of my problems is that my French is good enough to have French boyfriends, but not good enough to, say, translate or answer phones or anything else professional. More than one person said, "Why don't you just tell them you're fluent?" I had to point out that when they called to interview me IN FRENCH and I understood only half of what they were saying, they might be onto me.

As for Minitab, is that in the 10-ounce or 8-ounce can? :)
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debo matar la zombi goldberry83
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Holy crap - that is pathological! I wonder if her daughter knew what she was doing?
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momentsofabsurdity
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
I'm surprised she didn't get caught while altering other kids' grades. I damn well would have noticed if my grades were different than what I thought, and would have gone to the school to ask.
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Vivi21
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Umm, isn't the top score on the SAT a 1600?

Also, we should totally nominate this woman for "Mom of the Year." /snark. Seriously, what was she thinking? Wow, I really feel for those poor kids who were affected by her tampering. Their entire futures could be drastically different right now. I also feel badly for her daughter, who will no doubt have to deal with a lot of hatred for her mother's acts.
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greengrey
06/28/09

@Vivi21: New SATs. 2400 (I think).
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WantToTouchtheWahine
06/28/09

@Vivi21: Greengrey is correct. The new SAT added a "Writing" portion to supplement the Critical Reading (formerly Verbal) and Math. The Writing section is made up of grammar multiple choice and the 25-minute essay.

Yes, I tutor this test.
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Vivi21
06/28/09

@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): @maggeimerc: Ooh, I didn't know that. I graduated from high school 10 years ago. Back then, a 1370 was actually quite a good score and could get you into a good school if you had other credentials to back it up.
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WantToTouchtheWahine
06/28/09

@Vivi21: But apparently, not UCLA OR UCSD if you were out of state. Even as a valedictorian.

Not that I'm still bitter or anything...
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picassobear
06/28/09

@WantToTouchtheWahine: College is insane these days. I applied a few years ago with a really high GPA, SAT, extra curricular activities etc and got rejected from UCLA but got into CAL. But my friend with lower scores and grades got into UCLA and rejected from CAL. No method to the madness. ALso the UC system is broke as a joke so they probably won't let anyone in this year.
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WantToTouchtheWahine
06/28/09

@picassobear: Yeah, I'm now a college admissions counselor (in-home, not working for a school) and it's ridiculous. We have kids getting into Ivies and not UCs.

You're right, the UCs are EXTREMELY broke. To the point that they and the Cal States are admitting locals first, as a "concession to the recession" which really means, you're much more likely to go here and give us your money. So basically, kids from San Diego who are getting like 2.9's are getting in over 4.0's from Colorado.

It's unbelievable.
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la.donna.pietra
06/28/09

@WantToTouchtheWahine: Well, their primary mission is to serve California students first and everyone else second. Kinda the point of a state university system.

It's actually a bit worse than that, though; since they're obligated to serve *all* CA students, not just the ones living in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, they give preference to kids from the less-populated areas. It's damn near impossible to get into Berkeley (I refuse to call it Cal; there are nine other UCs) if you live in the Bay Area. I've known people with 4.0+ GPAs and ridiculous SATs who were refused. I got in with a lower GPA mostly because I lived near the Central Valley.

And then I went to UC Santa Cruz.
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stonebiscuit rolled a 1 on initiative
06/28/09

@WantToTouchtheWahine: MAN, I wish they'd had the writing section when I was taking the stupid test. I blew the SAT II writing test out of the water, but none of the colleges seemed to care.
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clevernamehere
06/28/09

@stonebiscuit is a ΓΔΙ: Most schools don't really care about the wring that much since its s subjective.
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Jenloveshercurves
06/29/09

@picassobear: @Plate2.18: @WantToTouchtheWahine: @la.donna.pietra: +So, I work for a CSU and I know it sucks, but it's looking like our budget is going to be cut by 13-16% because California has no money to give since the propositions in the special election failed. Since we cannot serve the high number of students we need to with that budget and we don't want to cut student services or academic quality, we had to cut something and part of that was reducing admission rates. Also, the CSU's are meant to serve their area of the state and always give priority to students in their areas. We have to hold to that even more now. It sucks, but essentially, we have no choice. This is going to be a huge wake-up call to all of California.
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squirrelcop
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Oh, War Games, what hath thou wrought?

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Dodgergirl
06/28/09

@squirrelcop: So we can agree that this is clearly Matthew Broderick's fault.
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squirrelcop
06/28/09

@Dodgergirl: That scamp has a LOT to answer for, I tell ya.
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meritxell: an erotic life
06/28/09

@squirrelcop: Just wait till we attack Alaska!
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curiousgeorgiana
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
My school advisor messed up my SAT score in the reports for some of my colleges. I would have some serious angst for this mother. Change your own kid's grades, fine-- but leave the other kids alone!
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sewradical
06/28/09

@curiousgeorgiana: mine got my gpa wrong. significantly wrong.
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Jenloveshercurves
06/29/09

@sewradical: Mine forgot to send in my transcripts to a university that was offering me the largest scholarship any student would receive that year in my graduating class. My university called me and said, "Ms. Loveshercurves, with the GPA you have listed, you qualify for a large scholarship and we would love to have you at our university, but we have yet to receive your grades and we need them before next week." I wanted to go in and yell at that man and tell him that he is completely incompetent, but I just burst out in tears instead.
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Percy
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
I will never understand people who feel they have a right to things they did not earn. Yes, I realize that dooms me to a life of frustration, particularly considering that I am a university instructor.
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NotIt
06/28/09

@Percy: But if you don't change my C to an A/let re-take the test/do extra-credit, I'll lose my scholarship! It'll be all your fault, you see, not mine, skipping class and being just plain dense isn't my fault!

I know your pain, I know it well.
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Fridge Hussy : Is finally heading back to uni!
06/28/09

@Percy: @NotIt: @greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): I've heard a fellow student argue that "the assignment was biased against my personal strengths!"*

*It was a mock policy submission for an, um, policy unit of our policy-based degree.
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sequined
06/28/09

@NotIt: "What, you mean never showing up or ever turning in any work whatsoever is more important to my grade than the fact that I know I'm smarter than everyone else in this class?"

I, too, feel ya.
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Schm
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
I once worked at this chain restaurant where my manager would go into the computer to alter employee files. For people who had quit, she would erase that info and write that they had been fired instead. Some people are so, so fucked up.
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FannyCachanilla
06/28/09

@Schmalerie: I got fired from a server job at a chain restaurant by an assistant manager that pulled something similar. I was living in CA and had to fly to Texas to basically say goodbye to my dying grandmother. That manager was new and didn't like me from the start (I still have no idea why but whatever) but she was the only one in so I had to ask for time off from her. Long story short, she acted very understanding and sweet, giving me the time off without requiring me to submit the request in writing since I had to leave in a few days. Then, she changed the schedule while I was in Texas and fired me for not showing up or calling in three days in a row. I had no proof to take to the managers above her. Not quite related, but your comment reminded me. It was a good lesson to always submit things in writing and to keep records but man I was pissed.
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Schm
06/28/09

@FannyCachanilla: Oh my god. That is terrible. I feel like a good percentage of restaurant managers are really just an extra special breed of asshole. They seriously think this kind of stuff is entertaining.
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greengrey
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
What ever happened to beating you kid to make sure they get good grades?

What IS the world coming to!?
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greengrey
06/28/09

@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): Though, that SAT score is pretty bad. I think I'd try to change it too [joke]
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IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel
06/28/09

@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): I keep forgetting that the tests are different now. I was like '1730?! That's not even a real score!'.
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picassobear
06/28/09

@IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel: This reminds me of the West Wing when president Barlett retakes the SAT because he got a 790 instead of an 800 on one section. ITS JUST LIKE GEORGE BUSH...oh wait..
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Percy
06/28/09

@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): My parents used good old-fashioned fear of all varieties (mostly threats of Hell and groundings) to motivate me. I was a VERY high-achieving child. I didn't want Satan to get me.
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WantToTouchtheWahine
06/28/09

@picassobear: George W. got a 790. TOTAL.

Yeah, that'll getcha into Yale! No prob!
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SaraRueful
06/28/09

@Percy: God hates people who don't master chemistry!
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Plate2.18
06/28/09

@WantToTouchtheWahine: I'm pretty sure that's a myth. (Or were you being sarcastic? I'm not great at catching it online.)

According to [www.cnn.com] he actually got a 1206, which still isn't great.
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WantToTouchtheWahine
06/28/09

@Plate2.18: I was being semi-sarcastic. My point was that there was no way he'd have gotten into Yale on his own accord.

Gotta love politics.
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jdawgg297
06/28/09

@Plate2.18: how can you get a score that isn't a multiple of 5 or 10?
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sequined
06/28/09

@IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel: My first thought as well. Now I'm trying to figure out how "good" it would be on the traditional scale, which shouldn't matter but is bothering me nonetheless.
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onestrawplz
06/28/09

@jdawgg297: Test scoring was different back then, so the 1206 would be his approximate grade given the 1600 scale that was used up to a few years ago.
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Mrs. Stephen Fry
06/28/09

In reply to High School Secretary Uses School Computers To Change Her Daughter's Grades
Hortense, I am cracking up at this: "Mother, May I Ruin Other Children's Academic Careers In Order To Make Sure My Kid Gets An A? The Caroline McNeal Story."

This really is a pitiful display. I feel sorry for this woman's daughter, really. She must not think very much of her child if she has to manufacture accomplishments for her.
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onehotmess
06/28/09

@Mrs. Stephen Fry: I see Valerie Bertinelli as the lead.
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