On the warpath

Seems so unfair the way they translated Nick's German report card--a very good student in Germany turns into a 2.86 GPA here. They compare apples to oranges and then print a black-and-white cumulative GPA which in no way reflects a student's German academic performance.

When I met with the counselor to ask her to please leave the cumulative part blank and let his German report card stand on its own for colleges or whatever, she said they spend so much time "translating" that they refuse to take it off. I was REALLY irritated.

How can someone who doesn't even know about the three-tiered German educational system insist that their guesswork be put on a child's permanent record? An "A" in a system that gives credit for bringing tissues to class or buying the right calculator is NOT equivalent to a grade of a "1" in a system where exams test not only what was covered, but what is to come. I am not saying the cut-and-dry, separate-the-wheat-from-the-chaff German system where only one or two students can get the top grade is better than the feel-good American system, but I am saying the Americans discriminate when they translate the six German number grades into the "lowest" five letter grades and don't see anything wrong with it.

Well, I cannot let it rest, I have to put up a site to offer background information regarding German marks: http://german-american-marks.blogspot.com/

December update: After much back and forth, the high school agreed to accept the World Education Services conversion of Nick's grades--10 A's and 2 B's. Tough battle, but justice prevailed.