The Grade Change Request: Ethics, Evidence, and the Principal's "Is There Anything We Can Do?"
Ms. Lindqvist is in her third year teaching English 12 at a 1,100-student high school. A senior, Devon, has a 78 (C+) with one week left. His mother has emailed the principal, the counselor, and Ms. Lindqvist, writing that Devon needs an 80 to keep a scholarship, that the essay grade was "subjective," and that she will raise the matter at the next board meeting. The principal forwards the email to Ms. Lindqvist with one line: "Let's talk - is there anything we can do?" Devon submitted two essays late, missed 11 days, and did not attend either review session. The district handbook states that grades reflect achievement of standards; the department has no written late-work or revision policy.
1. Identify the professional and ethical issues in this situation, and describe what you would do in the first 48 hours.
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The issues separate cleanly, and they should be handled separately.
- The subjectivity claim deserves a real answer. "The essay grade was subjective" is either false or evidence that the rubric was not applied consistently. Dismissing it because the parent is upset would be a mistake; if the rubric is sound, it can be demonstrated.
- The scholarship need is not a basis for a grade. A grade change justified by consequences - scholarship, graduation, college admission - misrepresents achievement and is not defensible to a board, a counselor, or the next teacher.
- The principal's "anything we can do" is not a directive, but it is ambiguous, and ambiguity here is risky. I need to know what is being asked before I answer.
- The missing department policy is the actual hole. Without a written revision or late-work rule, every request is handled ad hoc, which is exactly what makes a parent complaint feel arbitrary.
First 48 hours:
- Reply to the principal in writing: summarize what the grade is based on, state that I will verify the essay scoring, and ask directly whether the request is for a policy-neutral option or a grade change. Do not agree to anything in the hallway.
- Pull Devon's essay, rubric, and the scored work of two other students on the same prompt. Have a colleague rescore Devon's essay blind to the name.
- Meet Devon before replying to the parent, and ask what he thinks happened.
2. After the blind rescore, the essay grade stands. Describe your response to the parent and the options you would and would not offer.
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What I would offer:
- A revision opportunity, open to the whole class, with a deadline before the term ends. If the essay can be revised and rescored, the grade can improve on the merits. The key word is whole class: an option offered only to Devon converts a standard into a favor.
- A clear accounting of what stands between 78 and 80, computed in advance and shared with Devon and his mother: which specific standards, which assessments, what would need to improve.
- A written summary of the rescore - second reader, rubric, result - so the subjectivity question is answered with evidence rather than assertion.
What I would not offer:
- A grade change based on the scholarship. That is the one thing I cannot trade, and the message should be unambiguous so the parent is not left negotiating for a week.
- Extra credit unrelated to the standards, which is the same change wearing a different label.
To the parent, the frame matters. Lead with the rescore, not the refusal. Separate the two things she is asking for: a fair look at the essay, which she has received, and a grade she needs, which the school cannot supply on those grounds. Acknowledge the scholarship pressure directly - it is real and it is hers - and route it to the counselor, who can talk to the college about deadlines.
3. The principal later says privately, "He's a good kid and the scholarship is a big deal - can't we find two points?" How do you respond, and what do you do afterward?
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The response.
I would be direct and unembarrassed, not apologetic. Something like: "I can't change a grade because of what it costs him. If I can find two points on the merits, I will - here is what I found and here is what I did not. If I change the grade for the scholarship, I'm certifying that he met standards he hasn't, and I'd have to do the same for the next senior who needs it. I need you to know that's where I am, and I'd rather you hear it from me now than in a board meeting."
Reasoning: the pressure is coming from a person with authority over my evaluation, which is exactly why the answer has to be honest and early. Saying "let me think about it" invites the assumption that the grade is negotiable. Being clear does not require being confrontational; the objection is to the action, not to the principal's concern for the student.
Afterward:
- Send a brief confirming email summarizing the conversation and my position. Not adversarial - a record, because a board complaint has been threatened.
- Bring the missing policy to the department: a written revision and late-work rule, applied to all students, with a defined window. This request will recur every spring, and the colleague handling it next year should not have to invent an answer under pressure.
- Check in with the counselor so Devon and his family have a route to the college that does not run through my gradebook.
If the principal directs me in writing to change the grade, that is a different problem, and I would ask for the direction in writing while telling the department chair.