Schools have clear policy regarding absences
Regarding the ineligible football player at Salisbury High School:Susan Beard (Nov. 12 letter) is correct. Each school has policies in place for students to make up seat time and receive credit for classes in which they have too many absences. The student needs to file an appeal to the school and a decision is made to accept the appeal and allow the student to make up time or not. If no appeal is submitted, the student will not receive credit for the class(es).
The key to this is that the student must make up the time. Until that is done, the report card should reflect (FF) for “No Credit.” Once the time is made up, the “FF” is removed, and the actual grade earned is put in its place. The absences do remain on the record.
It appears there was a lack of communication at North Rowan. If the student didn’t file an appeal, the teachers should have given him an “FF.” If he filed a successful appeal but didn’t make up the time, the teachers should have given him “FF.” I wonder who was in charge of the credit restoration program and the appeals committee and just how the ball was dropped. It is clear that the error happened at North Rowan. A transcript should never have gone out to another school with such errors.
As a high school SIMS manager for 12 years and an attendance committee member, I am familiar with how this process works. Many times I would get transcripts from other high schools reflecting passing grades and lots of absences. I have called the other schools to see if there was an error. This was not my job. When that transcript was printed, it reflects final grades, and we should be able to trust in the information.
North Rowan should not get a win for their error.
ó Vickey St. Lawrence
Salisbury