Back in the sixties when I was a kid, “Report Card Day” was always the last school day before the Christmas break, which was always December 22nd, my birthday. English was our second language. Report card day was not a good day. My parents tried to be understanding but anything less than an A was frowned a upon. Dad’s now trying to make up for having been lax then
We got report cards 4 times – one for each quarter, I don’t remember being handed all of those report cards. Sometimes, the school mailed them instead. No matter how we got them. our parents had to sign them before we turned them back in to the school. I still have my grade school report cards all the way from Kindergarten to 8th grade. My high school ones were on really thin paper, a different report card for each class and those all faded so you can’t read them anymore. Parents didn’t sign the high school report cards and we didn’t turn them back in after our parents got them (usually in the mail). We just got a new report card each quarter.
At the parochial grade school I went to the was a section for “effort” as well as “conduct”. I would get A’s & B’s on the courses and C’s on effort. That grade upset my dad because “imagine what grades would be if you actually tried.” We won’t go into my normal grade on “conduct”…That is a whole nother story…or several of them.
Back in the 1940’s, kids read and collected comics as an eagerly pursued and beloved habit. Most of them were early edition numbers which were published in that time frame. We also ‘collected’ report cards every 6 weeks, like it or not.
Guess which ones my mother kept when she cleaned out her attic 20 years later. :)
In grade school we could receive an H, S or L (high, satisfactory, low) in effort and the same thing in achievement. About the worst trouble I got in was the time I got an H in achievement and an L in effort. The maternal unit did not approve. ;-((( Luckily (for me) she did not tell the Supreme Court, the head master hisself. He would have approved even less (altho they both admitted years later they thought it was hilarious).
My son once brought home a Report Card with an F in Math. He was in the 5th grade.
We had an intense discussion about the need to Improve the Grade.
The next Report Card had an A in Math. I said “You’ve screwed up.” He looked at me in disbelief and said “But I got an A”. I said "Well, if you had got another F I might have thought that you just couldn’t understand Math, but now that you proved that you’re capable of an “A” I expect you to at least get a Passing grade."
He never failed another class in school, including college.
Alas, this would not happen today. My sister-in-law is a 1st grade teacher. She’s not allowed to use red ink to correct anything because it intimidates the children. She has to be very careful about writing comments because nothing negative can be put on the record. So she can’t say, “Johnny needs to pay more attention in class” because it is critical of the child. I don’t know how you can give meaningful feedback in a system like that.
.
No child is left behind (or left back as we used to say in my day). They all get passed on so they become the next teacher’s problem.
BE THIS GUY almost 8 years ago
I see a law career in Calvin’s future if he can graduate from high school.
Adiraiju almost 8 years ago
That’s hard to believe.
orinoco womble almost 8 years ago
I remember being told that C meant “average.” Yet it was totally unacceptable to most parents.
thirdguy almost 8 years ago
So then, my C- meant I was less than acceptable to most parents?
The Calvinosaurus That Calvin Wanted To Discover almost 8 years ago
This report card probably has all A+ except for one A, and Dad is angry that he didn’t get that last A+.
Darsan54 Premium Member almost 8 years ago
Give this man a position in the Trump communications office.
thirdguy almost 8 years ago
Naw, he is overqualified.
alaskajohn1 almost 8 years ago
It’s just alternate facts,.
somebodyshort almost 8 years ago
Back in the sixties when I was a kid, “Report Card Day” was always the last school day before the Christmas break, which was always December 22nd, my birthday. English was our second language. Report card day was not a good day. My parents tried to be understanding but anything less than an A was frowned a upon. Dad’s now trying to make up for having been lax then
laughingkitty almost 8 years ago
We got report cards 4 times – one for each quarter, I don’t remember being handed all of those report cards. Sometimes, the school mailed them instead. No matter how we got them. our parents had to sign them before we turned them back in to the school. I still have my grade school report cards all the way from Kindergarten to 8th grade. My high school ones were on really thin paper, a different report card for each class and those all faded so you can’t read them anymore. Parents didn’t sign the high school report cards and we didn’t turn them back in after our parents got them (usually in the mail). We just got a new report card each quarter.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member almost 8 years ago
Calvin might one day be a fine hostage negotiator.
Troglodyte almost 8 years ago
Calvin has a very bright future in law or politics, or (shudder) both!
Lee Cox almost 8 years ago
No, Dad wasn’t lying, Calvin. YOU were by stating that you WERE doing your best, when you obviously weren’t.
whiteheron almost 8 years ago
At the parochial grade school I went to the was a section for “effort” as well as “conduct”. I would get A’s & B’s on the courses and C’s on effort. That grade upset my dad because “imagine what grades would be if you actually tried.” We won’t go into my normal grade on “conduct”…That is a whole nother story…or several of them.
sandpiper almost 8 years ago
Back in the 1940’s, kids read and collected comics as an eagerly pursued and beloved habit. Most of them were early edition numbers which were published in that time frame. We also ‘collected’ report cards every 6 weeks, like it or not.
Guess which ones my mother kept when she cleaned out her attic 20 years later. :)
William Taylor almost 8 years ago
In grade school we could receive an H, S or L (high, satisfactory, low) in effort and the same thing in achievement. About the worst trouble I got in was the time I got an H in achievement and an L in effort. The maternal unit did not approve. ;-((( Luckily (for me) she did not tell the Supreme Court, the head master hisself. He would have approved even less (altho they both admitted years later they thought it was hilarious).
bjharrington77 almost 8 years ago
I get grounded for anything less than a 90%
Wilde Bill almost 8 years ago
Calvin’s dad should have known better than to tell Calvin “As long as you try your hardest.” Rookie mistake.
denis1112 almost 8 years ago
Calvin has a future at MSNBC or CNN or any of the other lefty news nerd networks.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 almost 8 years ago
My son once brought home a Report Card with an F in Math. He was in the 5th grade.
We had an intense discussion about the need to Improve the Grade.
The next Report Card had an A in Math. I said “You’ve screwed up.” He looked at me in disbelief and said “But I got an A”. I said "Well, if you had got another F I might have thought that you just couldn’t understand Math, but now that you proved that you’re capable of an “A” I expect you to at least get a Passing grade."
He never failed another class in school, including college.
dflak almost 8 years ago
Alas, this would not happen today. My sister-in-law is a 1st grade teacher. She’s not allowed to use red ink to correct anything because it intimidates the children. She has to be very careful about writing comments because nothing negative can be put on the record. So she can’t say, “Johnny needs to pay more attention in class” because it is critical of the child. I don’t know how you can give meaningful feedback in a system like that.
.
No child is left behind (or left back as we used to say in my day). They all get passed on so they become the next teacher’s problem.
Number Three almost 8 years ago
Sometimes I think parents overreact when they see their kid’s Report Cards. Kids are still learning! Calvin is only 6.
If I were a parent, I would say to them “Maybe you could try a little harder?” or “Never mind. I’m sure you tried your best”
I wouldn’t yell at them like some idiotic parents do.
xxx
UpaCoCoCreek Premium Member almost 8 years ago
He failed just to prove his point.
Professor W almost 8 years ago
Everyone has their best, Dad. That’s unfair
KansasChaser12 almost 7 years ago
THIS is an A, B, C, B-, F