A Teacher’s Take on the Cheating Scandal

I know that wealth equals privilege.  I know that students whose parents are wealthy will get into college more easily since they can afford tutors, SAT prep, personal trainers, you name it.

That is part of the reason why I love working in an urban school where over 70% of my  students are on the free and reduced lunch program.   I strive to help these students to build the tools that they need to make themselves college and career ready.

I love it when the spring arrives and my seniors begin to receive their acceptance letters.  I also love it when former students contact me to thank me for preparing them for their college English courses, or to tell me about their interesting travel abroad experiences.

This week I am particularly excited because a student I taught as a junior last year has been accepted to Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, and now MIT.  This is the student success story that the world loves to hear.  This student is incredibly intelligent, but simultaneously humble.  He is simply a phenomenal human being despite his modest upbringing and I am so happy to have gotten to know him last year.

I have other students who have graduated from Tufts and MIT who are now enrolled in grad school and others who are making the world a better place through their careers.  Teachers are sometimes under-appreciated, but every time I hear from one of these students, I know that I am making a difference.

I have a letter that I give to my students on the first day of school that allows me to introduce myself to them and then I ask them to write a letter back to me as their first assignment of the year.  The last line of my letter reads as follows:

“This year, I seek to teach you not only the components of writing, but also a course in ethics, because ultimately, your grades means nothing if you cannot look yourself in the mirror and be proud of the person you see.”

How fitting that sentence is in light of the recent college admissions cheating scandal.

Today, some of my students were saying how they know that it’s wrong to cheat, but they also know that they would probably do anything they could in order to get their future children into a good college.  They asked if I would do the same.

Now, granted, I’m not a parent, but I really don’t believe that I would.  I don’t want to raise privileged children who simply ask and receive; I want them to know the importance of hard work.  They should get rejected from some colleges they apply to because we all need some degree of failure in order to grow.

These celebrity parents are raising entitled children and no matter how much money I earn, that is not what I want for my kids.

Some people think it’s almost a waste to even fight the recent scandal, saying how there will always be parents who cheat (especially those who have the financial means to do so).  They mention how it’s always been known that some families make massive donations to Ivy League schools with the hopes that their children will then be accepted.

But here’s the thing: I don’t care about the fact that some cheaters aren’t caught.  Sure, there will always be cheaters, but that doesn’t mean we give up. We can’t just wallow in the fact that people will always cheat; rather, we must keep trying our best to eliminate as much of it as possible.

Every college placement that was filled by a student who cheated or whose parent cheated is a spot that a deserving student was unable to attain.

I teach some of those deserving students who are rejected because their family has no high standing in society.  Most of my students have parents who have never attended college, some of whom have never even finished high school.  Many of my students have parents who are not fluent in the English language.  These parents cannot fight for their children as much as they might like to because of language barriers.

These students grew up without tutoring and SAT prep courses.  They had parents who often could not help them with their homework. Many of them came home to empty houses after school, since their parents were working long hours trying to make ends meet.

These are the students who know that hard work pays off.  These students who were able to succeed in high school and enter college are one of my greatest sources of joy as a teacher.

I understand that some of them are upset with the recent scandal (I am upset myself).  They have every right to be angry, but I just keep reminding them that ethics and character still matter.  Students who got into college as a result of a scam don’t understand the value of hard work.  They have no idea what it means to struggle through the daily obstacles of life.  My students do, and I believe that because of that, they will be more prepared for the world they enter upon graduation because they know that everything in life will not simply be handed to them.

My students will be able to live with the confidence that anything they achieve is truly a result of their own perseverance.  They will be able to look themselves in the mirror every day and be proud of the person they see looking back at them.

It may sound naive, but that has to count for something.  I recently read a book entitled The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead by David Callahan.  He examines cheating in all aspects, from lawyers who lie about their billable hours, to pharmaceutical companies knowingly promoting drugs with major side effects, to plagiarism, to athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs.

What happens is that we see other people getting ahead as a result of cheating and this causes us to justify our own cheating.  He’s cheating, so it’s only fair if I do, too. This leads to a perpetual cycle of cheating, and there is no clear solution.

I try my best to avoid cheating, although Callahan makes it clear how we have all done this from time to time, even in minor ways.  Ever downloaded music illegally?  Gotten extra change and kept it rather than returning it to the cashier? Embellished a resume?  Failed to report under-the-table income?  Re-used a stamp that wasn’t cancelled?

We’re all guilty at times.  But the only way I can see a change happening is by maintaining a high degree of ethics and morals myself.  My students know that I strive to be an overall good person.  I try to instill ethical behavior into them as frequently as possible.  We have conversations about honesty and integrity and they see my disappointment when I catch them plagiarizing.

If my students see many of their parents, teachers, and peers acting in an ethical manner, they will follow suit.  But if they see all of us lying, stealing and cheating our way into success, they will mimic that behavior.

I don’t have the answers, but I do know that character counts, even today when it sometimes seems like all hope is lost.  Because of my faith, I know that my ultimate goal of Heaven will only be fulfilled if I maintain an upright character.  It doesn’t matter how much power people achieve through false means here on earth; that will not help them to inherit the kingdom of God.  And even for those who do not believe in God, they can consider the idea that what goes around comes around.

So I will continue to be proud of the woman I see in the mirror because I know the hard work that was necessary to get to the place I am in today.  I know that I did not get any college admissions, degrees, jobs, or awards as a result of any cheating or fraud.  I do not have to fear the embarrassment and shame that would occur if I had deep dark secrets that I didn’t want to get released.

 

 

 

 

To Fight or Not to Fight?

To fight or not to fight, that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

From the liars and cheaters who take advantage.

Or to stand up for what is right and just

By opposing them in the end.

 

Thank you, Shakespeare and Hamlet (with some tweaking) for today’s inspiration.  I do not, however, thank the people who are causing this frustrating post.

That’s really my current question, though.  To fight or not to fight?

At what point do we stand up for ourselves so that people can no longer walk all over us?  Or, at what point do we decide to lay back down into that position of submission in order to avoid facing repercussions for doing the former?

In some situations, it’s tough to stand up and fight, even if we’re only fighting something that we’re owed, both legally and ethically.  Every action has a reaction.  I’m not scared of standing up for myself.  I’m not scared of the action.  What I am scared of is the reaction.  However, I’m also disappointed about my inaction.

I can’t elaborate on my current predicament, but I have been doing a lot of inaction as of late.  I’m in a position where I need to obey certain people.  I need to be a bit docile.  The people-pleasing side of my has been very apparent in my day to day life lately.  The smiley Stephanie is trying to maintain that smile despite the gritted teeth that are hiding beneath.

In the course of all of that, I’m being treated like a doormat.  So do I continue with the inaction, thus continuing to be walked all over (but maintaining my security in my position as a doormat), or do I react?  Do I fight for what is owed to me (but face possible negative reactions later)?  These negative reactions could be quite major.  They could cause certain things to become living hell for me.

So that is the question…

 

 

 

 

Good Really Does Triumph

In my last post (“How to Get in America: Lie, Cheat and Steal”), my cynicism was pretty clear. It had not been a good week.  I was feeling beaten down from a situation where I felt myself being pulled between my ethics and what my superiors wanted me to do.

At the end of my post, I wrote: “So we’ll see who ends up victorious: the ones who are doing what is right, or the ones who are cheating to get ahead.

Unfortunately, it might be the latter because life is not always like the movies where the good guy always wins.  Sometimes the dirty, lying, cheating scoundrel is the one who ends up ahead.  At least I will hopefully maintain my own dignity through this whole process.”

It may have taken a little while for vindication to come, but I am happy to say that it has arrived, and I have kept my dignity intact.

Standing my moral ground has ended up working out to my benefit.

Last week was rough.  I was stressed out; I was unsure about which person’s advice to listen to.  I could have easily let my morals be thrown aside to take the easier approach toward the task I had to complete.  It would have saved me hours of anxiety.

But I just couldn’t.  I would not have been able to take myself seriously if I had given in to the things that people had asked of me.  I would have felt guilty and worthless.

So I stood my ground.  Basically, that meant that all of last week was a whirlwind.  I was insanely busy, and I felt completely alone in a sea of people who were taking the easier, more dishonest way out.

Finally, today, I have found my vindication.

Sorry to be so cryptic, but I can’t talk about the details of what was going on since this could be read by anyone on the internet.  But the moral of this whole situation is that we must ALWAYS maintain our ethics and morals.

Even if people who cheat or lie may have it easier in the beginning (or sometimes they may end up getting to the same end result in a simpler way), that is no way to live.  At the end of the day, we need to look ourselves in the mirror and be proud of the people we are and the decisions that we have made.

My week last week was absolutely exhausting.  But I made it through without letting go of my ethical standards, and here I am now with things working out not only to my benefit, but also in a way that is a better outcome that I had ever envisioned.

There are days like those last week when my cynicism shines through because I feel so beaten down by the world, but I have to remember that good truly triumphs.  Sometimes it’s not blatant to the world, but there really are good people and in some way, they will receive what they deserve.  In the same way, those who lie and cheat may get ahead, but they will be unable to look at their accomplishments with any pride.  They, too, will most likely receive what they deserve.

Even during those times when they don’t receive what they deserve, we must remember that it is up to us whether we can keep our head up high.  It is up to us to live a life that we may be proud of.  For me, that means sticking to my beliefs and values even when they makes me the odd man out.

How to Get Ahead in America: Lie, Cheat, and Steal

Today, I’m feeling a bit cynical.

I can’t go into details about my current situation, but the quick version of the story is that I am facing an ethical dilemma.  I am being told to do something by people above me that I believe is not ethical, but because I am in no position of power, my situation is a bit of a conundrum.

Do I do what is right and just, possibly facing problems because of it, or do I give into the status quo?

The obvious answer is to do what is right.  But this is one of the first times in my life when I am beginning to truly understand why people often partake in immoral actions.  Sometimes that is what is unfortunately necessary in order to keep one’s job and to get ahead.

I am hoping that by sticking to my morals, things will end up okay in the long run, but there’s a chance that they might not.

Why?

Because it seems that in America, the easiest way to get ahead is to lie, cheat, and steal.

I want to have faith in my country, in my profession, and in people in general.  I am usually incredibly optimistic.

But right now I feel beaten down, lethargic, and frustrated.

It is times like these when cheating and lying would be the easy way out.  I am determined to not let that happen, but remaining honest and respectable is become exhausting, especially when I feel so alone.

The people around me don’t seem to believe in the same principles as I do.  They have no problem of doing what is currently being asked of them.  I am the odd man out.

And I guess that’s kind of fitting for me.  I’m used to being the odd one, due in a large part to my Catholic beliefs.

I don’t believe in living with a boyfriend before marriage.  Everyone thinks that is crazy.  I go to church every Sunday.  *GASP*

With my faith, I’m used to being the one who is different, so I guess it’s fitting that some of the morals that I believe in majorly because of my faith are now showing themselves in other parts of my life.

I want to change the status quo.  I want people to do work that they are proud of.  I want ethics to be more important than paychecks.

So we’ll see who ends up victorious: the ones who are doing what is right, or the ones who are cheating to get ahead.

Unfortunately, it might be the latter because life is not always like the movies where the good guy always wins.  Sometimes the dirty, lying, cheating scoundrel is the one who ends up ahead.  At least I will hopefully maintain my own dignity through this whole process.