On Course oversight sparks unease among students
March 17, 2009 • written by Aakash Hazari
Despite school policy, the February issue of the On Course newsletter printed many students’ GPAs, stirring much controversy amongst not only students, but also parents.
“It was just an honest mistake,” Communications Coordinator Christine Kosmicki explained.
While the publication was an honest mistake, many students were outraged.
“I’m a little upset because it’s a total invasion of privacy,” freshman David Andes said.
Other students were troubled by the competition sparked by seeing other students’ GPAs.
“You should want a better GPA on your own, not because someone else’s GPA is higher than yours,” senior Alicia Martinez said. “Competition is good, but that kind of competition is unnecessary.”
In immediate response to the feedback, Assistant Principal of Instruction Lauren Lek emailed parents, sent phone messages using the Connect Ed system, and posted a statement on the Moreau Catholic website apologizing for the incident.
“It is our policy to not publish GPAs of students,” Lek wrote in the statement. “On behalf of the entire administrative team, please accept our apology for any confusion or concerns this may have caused.”
Though the situation resulted in noticeable tension around school, some positives have risen from the oversight. In addition to hiring Kosmicki three weeks ago, the Communications Staff has decided to revamp both the On Course and The Vector in an effort to promote Moreau in the community.
“We want to reflect the excellence of Moreau,” Kosmicki said.
Prior to the publication of the GPAs, the process in producing an On Course issue was relatively simple. Writers, such as Assistant Principals or Department Chairs, submitted stories to the Communications Coordinator, who lays out the page.
The recent controversy has provided reason for further review. After writing a story and submitting it, the stories are then returned to the writers to ensure that errors are not made. The new publication method will be more meticulous, guaranteeing that this error won’t happen again.
In addition, the On Course will publish more online, making communication with parents both easier to accomplish and easier to access.
Ultimately, President Terry Lee will be the last one to see the publication and make the final revisions. Although Lee views the document last, his amendments are primarily involved with copy editing.
“I try to read everything before it goes out,” Lee said. “The GPA publication slipped through people’s eyes. I wasn’t looking for that, I look for mistakes.”
Loading ...
Comments
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!