Diana Tirado, a teacher at West Gate K-8 school in Florida, has been fired for doing her job.
Tirado took to social media to talk about the reason school officials at Port St. Lucie decided to let her go.
According to the educator, she refused to abide by the no-zero policy that she claims is included in the student and parent handbook; and it infuriated the school’s principal.
The eighth-grade history teacher said a group of students failed to turn in their Explorer Notebook project.
According to the rules, even when students decide not to do the given assignment, teachers are obligated to give partial credit for the task they failed to accomplish.
Many school districts in the United States have the following policy; teachers must give the students who did not do any homework the grade they were likely to have gotten if they had turned it in and had done their best.
Tirado said she strongly disagrees with the concept of rewarding students who make zero efforts, and she was therefore terminated.
She stated: “But what if they don’t turn it in, and they say we still give them a 50. Oh no we don’t.”
Tirado went on to reveal: “I’m so upset, because we now have a nation of kids who are expecting to get paid and live their lives just for showing up, and it’s not real.”
Via Facebook, Tirado shared the message she wrote on her whiteboard to the students on her last day.
She wished them well and slammed the policy. She has been getting an outpour of support on social media.
One person told the teacher: “That’s the reason these kids are getting dumber by the generation. Parents are less and less involved in their children education. Teaching is a 2 part method, you just send your child off and expect the teachers to do everything. Smh God bless this teacher. I wish her nothing but the best.”
Another supporter shared this note: “Hopefully, they can start making jobs pay you 50% when you call out sick. If I owned a school, I’d give her a job!! She deserves it… This is what’s wrong with the school system now. they wanna pass kids just for showing up .”
Tirado returned to social media and expressed her gratitude for the debate she has sparked.
She shared: “The fight has gotten real. News stations everywhere are discussing school policy and questioning what we are doing to our youth. Already, I have reached my goal by creating a conversation about a very serious topic. I hope this conversation will create policy change. Thank you for all your support!”
When Tirado was fired on September 14th, no official reason was mentioned in her termination letter due to her probationary status. ⠀
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The school has declined to comment on the matter. However, a representative for the district claims the policy does not exist.
