SK> -> *1   FAILING GRADES:  GETS TEACHER OUSTED
SK> ->    Shehrever Masters, a Toledo, Ohio, high school science
SK> -> teacher was fired because he failed too many students
    
    In any other business or profession, any professional or company that 
produces too many "lemons" is gone, even if many of the factors are beyond 
his control.
    Any lawyer who gets a reputation for losing an abnormal share of his 
clients cases soon doesn't have clients, even if many factors (jurors) are 
beyond his exclusive control.  
    I'm not sure if Masters' firing is as "absurd" as it first sounds if 
other teachers at his school did significantly better.
SK> -> (AP/Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/23).  School Superintendent Crystal
SK> -> Ellis also complained that Masters refused to change his teaching
SK> -> style to help at-risk students, writes the paper
    I'd guess this had more to do with the decision to fire Masters than the 
failure rate per se.
SK> -> style to help at-risk students, writes the paper.  More than two-
SK> -> thirds of the 125 students in Masters five ninth-grade science
SK> -> classes dropped out last year; half failed the course.
    Could any carmaker stay in business with this record?  Could any lawyer 
who lost 2/3 of his cases keep clients instead of being fired?
SK> ->    "The charges are unfounded and untrue," said Masters.  He
SK> -> added:  "Their assumption that I'm an ineffective teacher because
SK> -> children fail is ridiculous, because there is no way you can
SK> -> gauge a teacher that way.  All that does is ask teachers to grade
SK> -> themselves by giving lots of passing grades to kids, and that's
SK> -> exactly what's happening these days. 
    True.
    But how do standardized-test scores compare for Masters?
SK> ->    From the paper:  "Dozens of parents have supported Masters.
SK> -> Some plan to testify at the hearings.  They say Masters is an
SK> -> excellent teacher who has motivated their children."
    Not well-enough to pass his course.
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