2 TAFT TEACHERS GAIN SUPPORT IN GRADE DISPUTE.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer WOODLAND HILLS - Many Taft High School students, parents and faculty have rallied behind two teachers at the center of a grade-dispute controversy that will ultimately be settled by the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Unified School Board later this month. In letters to the Daily News, the Taft School Site Council and 29 English faculty members said Spanish teacher Sheilah Wilson-Serfaty and English teacher Arthur Berchin were ``outstanding teachers.'' The letters said the teachers' reputations were unfairly called into question by a grade-review committee's conclusion that they were ``incompetent'' and ``acted in bad faith'' when they each gave a B to Amanda Wolin, previously a straight-A honors student An honors student is a student in elementary, middle, or high school recognized for achieving high grades. Honors students are recognized on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as "honor rolls". . ``We have full confidence in the two outstanding teachers whose grades are being disputed,'' said a letter by the school site council, made up of parents, students, faculty and administrators. The letter from the teachers said in part: ``Dr. Berchin exemplifies what it means to be an educator. He is patient, good-humored, generous, erudite er·u·dite adj. Characterized by erudition; learned. See Synonyms at learned. [Middle English erudit, from Latin , and precise; he sets the highest standards for himself, his staff, and his students.'' The Daily News reported the controversy Saturday and Berchin and Wilson-Serfaty agreed to be interviewed for a follow-up story on Wednesday, but LAUSD's district office prohibited pro·hib·it tr.v. pro·hib·it·ed, pro·hib·it·ing, pro·hib·its 1. To forbid by authority: Smoking is prohibited in most theaters. See Synonyms at forbid. 2. the teachers from speaking. The grade dispute erupted when Amanda's parents, Amy and Jeff Wolin, contested the two grades. Two initial review panels - one at the school and another at local District C - sided with Berchin and Wilson-Serfaty. But a third, independent panel led by a principal in local District B concluded that the teachers did not carry out their jobs properly and that the grades should be raised to As. Bud Jacobs, an assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. at district headquarters who was overseeing the case, decided to accept the recommendations of the first two panels and upheld the B grades. The Wolins made a final appeal to the L.A. Unified School Board, which under the state education code is the final arbiter in student record disputes. Hoping to dodge the controversial case, the school board voted in March to delegate A person who is appointed, authorized, delegated, or commissioned to act in the place of another. Transfer of authority from one to another. A person to whom affairs are committed by another. A person elected or appointed to be a member of a representative assembly. its grade-dispute authority to the superintendent. Later, they agreed to settle the dispute this month. Amanda's mother, Amy, said in an interview Thursday that the case should not turn into a popularity contest: ``It is not 'American Idol' where you vote for your favorite person. This is a case that is based solely on facts. ``It is not my mission to discredit TO DISCREDIT, practice, evidence. To deprive one of credit or confidence. 2. In general, a party may discredit a witness called by the opposite party, who testifies against him, by proving that his character is such as not to entitle him to credit or them or rake their names through the mud,'' she said. ``But any student who works hard should get what you earned.'' Berchin, a Nationally Board Certified board certified, adj the status of a dental specialist such as an orthodontist who has become a board diplomate by successfully completing the certification program of the recognized certification board in that area of practice. Teacher, coaches Taft's Academic Decathlon decathlon (dĭkăth`lŏn), in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. team, which won two National Championships, in 1989 and 1993. Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com |
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