[stomachmonkey]

Back on topic.

A lot of standard rhetoric so far but not much substance directly addressing Denton Counties changes.

Personally I like the idea.

The achievers, kids who hand in their work on time will continue to do so.

Kids who hand in substandard work on time now have the opportunity to do a better job with their assignments. This will be my son. He's got a couple of issues, smart kid, diligently does his homework without being asked or pestered. But sometimes he struggles and just "gets it done" because there is a deadline. He wants to do the best he can but he is impaired by a time constraint and not doing his best upsets and depresses him.

Kids who blow off their assignments now can't. Not handing in assignments is not a learning issue, it's a behavioral problem that crappy grades won't address. Put another way, a kid who blows off the work knowing he will get a zero does not give a crap. The fear of a **** grade won't motivate him.

Yes to some degree the schools should teach accountability but it's more my job as a parent than the schools. We regularly speak to our kids teachers and check their grades / progress 2-3 times a semester so we know if there is a problem before report cards come in and put the kids on alert that if they don't pull up a slipping grade there will be consequences. We also know when they have assignments due and make sure they get done.

As far as retaking tests that just makes sense. A test is to see what they have learned. What good is knowing what you don't know if the opportunity to go back and learn it is lost. You can retake the SAT's. If you graduate law school and blow the bar does that mean you blew becoming an attorney? No second chance? Same with any profession that requires certification. If you don't pass you go back and study the stuff you are weak on and keep taking the tests until you know what you need to know.