Local parents who are concerned with their children's low grades in a Fundamentals of Math 11 class at New Westminster Secondary School will now have the next two weeks to share their concerns with district administrators.
According to a Jan. 16 letter from Bob Tamblyn, the district's director of human resources, to parent Lisa Chao, district administrators will, in the next two weeks, "be arranging meetings for those parents that have further information to share.
"Parents have asked the district to look into FOM11 - (and) the district is examining the course and the assessment and will have the results prior to semester end (at the end of January). Once the examination of the course and the assessment is complete, the district will be in a better position to answer your specific concerns regarding the course and your child's assessment."
The district has been looking into the issue after a Jan. 10 committee meeting where more than 15 parents raised concerns about a math class where they are claiming the teacher is failing as many as 70 per cent of the students in the class.
In Chao's Jan. 1 letter to assistant super-intendent Al Balanuik expressing her concerns, she notes that her child "didn't always have homework completed when spot checks were done" and that her child may have lost marks when "part marks were not often given when a question worth multiple marks contain(ed) only a minor error."
Chao estimated that "there must be a 70 to 80 per cent failure rate" in the teacher's three FOM11 classes" and "failure will have a life-altering effect on these children."
Chao asked for the district to evaluate the teacher's interactions with students, that summer school registration frees be reimbursed for students who had to retake the class because of a low grade and that students be given access to counselling services "to ensure they are not burdened with shame, guilt or malice which may adversely influence future learning outcomes."
Chao responded to Tamblyn via email early on Jan. 17: "I appreciate there are many demands on senior administration's time, but your commitment to arranging meetings with parents that have further information to share demonstrates that you have made this issue your top priority. Thank you."
For reporter Alfie Lau's thoughts on what low marks mean to him, check out his most recent New Westminster blog posting at www.royal cityrecord.com.
