Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220303

A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 3 Maart 2022

No more extra credit? Schools rethink approaches to grades

(AP) - To curb an alarming is also a union representa-
rise in failing students at tive, has been going through
the height of the pandem- the training, although she
ic, school districts around personally believes the new
the U.S. showed leniency approach will do little to pre-
in accepting late work and pare students for real-world
assigning grades. responsibilities.

As the coronavirus crisis One of Snyder’s students,
subsides, some are sticking Helene Trujillo, said the
with it or adopting similar flexibility with deadlines has
approaches — not because helped her feel less “suffocat-
of the pandemic, but often ed.” On some days, she has
because of what it revealed gotten home from her job
about how students are pe- at a Mexican restaurant after
nalized for hardships like 10 p.m. and done homework
a lack of support at home, until 2 a.m. Then she would
work obligations or poor in- have to log into school by
ternet access. 8:30 a.m.

During remote learning, the- Remote learning opened
ater teacher Brandy Snyder many educators’ eyes to stu-
at New Mexico’s Las Cru- dents’ home circumstances
ces High School once saw a and stirred interest in ways
student on Zoom seated next to avoid disproportionately
to patrons at the fast food not homework, behavior overall grades. Others are launched plans to introduce penalizing underserved stu-
restaurant where he worked. or extra credit. A growing allowing students to retake equitable grading. Govern- dents, according to Joe Feld-
He had been worried about number of schools now are tests and turn work in late. ment and economics teacher man, a former teacher and
losing points for attendance. becoming more deliberate Also coming under scrutiny Julia Knoff said she and her administrator in Oakland,
Under the grading scale now about eliminating bias from are extra-credit assignments colleagues were concerned California, who wrote a book
allowed by the school, an ab- grading systems as a result of than can favor students with about having less autonomy on the subject and has been
sence doesn’t translate to a lessons from the pandemic more advantages. and more work on tasks like training teachers around the
lower grade if a student ul- and the nation’s reckoning rewriting tests for retakes. U.S. with his Crescendo Ed-
timately can prove they have with racial injustice. Some teachers have pushed ucation consulting group.
learned the material. From California to Virginia, back, arguing the changes The union eventually reached
schools have been experi- amount to lowering expecta- an agreement with the dis- This school year, Feldman
For years, advocates have ad- menting with getting rid tions. trict ensuring teachers discre- and his cohorts have offered
vanced the concept of “equi- of zero-to-100 point scales tion on matters like how late workshops or coaching for 40
table grading,” arguing grades and other strategies to keep In San Diego, a teach- assignments can be submit- groups, including individual
should reflect students’ mas- missed assignments from ers union filed a grievance ted and how many times they schools, districts and univer-
tery of course material and dramatically bringing down last year when the district can be redone. Knoff, who sities.

Fired cop says he did nothing wrong in Breonna Taylor raid

(AP) — Former Louisville Asked if he did anything whether Hankison could see other 32 bullets fired in the “No,” Hankison replied.
detective Brett Hankison wrong during the raid, Han- through the front door and raid came from police.
testified in his own de- kison replied, “absolutely why he retreated to fire into Hankison was one of only
fense Wednesday about not,” even though he ac- the side of Taylor’s apart- During an hourlong cross- two witnesses called by his
his actions during the po- knowledged firing into the ment. examination, a prosecutor attorney before they finished
lice raid that left Breonna window and patio door. asked Hankison why, if he their case Wednesday. Clos-
Taylor dead, saying the As for Taylor, he said, “She Hankison testified earlier in saw a threat, he didn’t fire ing arguments are scheduled
gunfire began with a muz- didn’t need to die that night.” the day that he decided “to when he was at Taylor’s front for Thursday.
zle flash that illuminated Breonna Taylor’s mother, get out of that fatal funnel as door.
a shadowy silhouette, and Tamika Palmer, then stormed quickly as possible and get to The prosecution finished
he thought it was some- out of the courtroom. a location where I can return “You knew you had to re- presenting its case on Tuesday
one firing an automatic rounds,” so he ran around a spond, but you didn’t re- with testimony from Chelsey
rifle at his fellow officers. Hankison said that as a po- corner where he could see spond,” said Barbara Maines Napper, who called 911 after
lice battering ram broke open more muzzle flashes through Whaley, an assistant state at- Hankison’s gunfire ripped
Hankison is not on trial for Taylor’s door, the blast of a a sliding glass door and a bed- torney general. through her apartment,
the 26-year-old Black wom- gun lit up the apartment’s room window, despite their which shared a common
an’s death but for firing bul- hallway and his fellow officer closed blinds and curtains. “I didn’t respond because we wall with Taylor’s. Hankison
lets that went into an adjacent fell wounded in the door- were in that funnel,” Hanki- is charged with endanger-
apartment, endangering a way. He said he thought the “I knew Sgt. Mattingly was son replied. ing Napper, her 5-year-old
pregnant neighbor, her young muzzle flash matched that of down and I knew they were son and her boyfriend, Cody
child and her boyfriend. a long rifle, but no rifle was trying to get to him and it ap- “Weren’t you concerned if Etherton, while his fellow of-
found in the apartment. peared to me they were be- you fired through the sliding ficers exchanged gunfire with
ing executed with this rifle,” door you might hit your fel- Taylor’s boyfriend during the
“The percussion from that Hankison said. “I thought I low officers?” Whaley asked. raid next door.
muzzle flash I could feel,” could put rounds through
Hankison said, apparently that bedroom window and “Absolutely not,” Hankison Hankison was fired by police
struggling to maintain his stop the threat.” replied. for shooting “blindly” during
composure as he described the raid on March 13, 2020.
Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly go- Investigators later deter- Did you feel guilty about He fired 10 shots, none of
ing down from a bullet mined only one round was leaving your fellow officers which hit Taylor or her boy-
wound. fired by Taylor’s boyfriend, in the fatal funnel?” Whaley friend, Kenneth Walker. No
who said he thought an in- asked. police were charged in the
Prosecutors cast doubt on truder was breaking in. The Black woman’s death.