Reply to What is going on at Yorktown High School?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a friend who works in admissions at a school very popular with applicants from Yorktown. S/he/they said the stuff going on with Yorktown hurts their applicants, full stop. He said it's not just the potential for embarrassment that entitled kids bring. The hidden cost of the administration's laxity is that it makes admissions people believe at least some kids see their teachers' letters of recommendation.

My friend said "not every kid can be the best in the last ten years of teaching", and yet those are the letters that come in. It's easy for teachers to write letters where admissions officers can read between the lines and see the kid isn't that strong, at least relative to peers. But YHS teachers don't do this at all unless a kid clearly is not so privileged (you can tell from the application). They can't prove it of course, but they think YHS must collect copies of the letters that can be seen if parents intimidate the administration enough.[/quote]

Also- I have never been asked for copies of my recommendation letters.  That’s complete nonsense.[/quote]

But as weak as the administration has been in disciplining your students and protecting people from being victimized, you can imagine they'd be terrified to say "no" if a particularly strong parent demands seeing your letter.[/quote]

I’m just curious what you think would happen.  I’d give it to them myself.  It’s a courtesy, not a requirement.  Some kids might not be in the top 10%, but I’d recommend them for higher learning.  This whole way of thinking is really weird.  Your friend has you in knots over nothing.[/quote]

Um, the whole point of the confidential letter of recommendation is so teachers speak candidly about their impressions of the student. If you sign the back of the envelope telling the Admissions Department the letter is confidential, and then you turn over a copy of that letter to the student, then you are misleading the Admissions Department. They rank a glowing letter shown to the student much lower than the same glowing letter professed to be confidential.[/quote].

Is that how it works?  I use Naviance.  However, I have no trouble sharing a letter I wrote with a student.  Some are, as you say “glowing”, sometimes they are just good. Maybe I like the student, and I think they deserve a shot, but I certainly don’t write that they’re the best I’ve ever had.  They get the recommendation they’ve earned, just like grades.  I can think of a few times I’ve said no to students that have asked me write because I didn’t think I was the person to ask, let’s say.  Recommendations are earned, and as I said before, a courtesy, not a job requirement.  I try to be honest and fair, and I am not scared of what students’ parents think.  I think most of my colleagues would agree.[/quote]

Occasionally, you do get someone amazing, and they get a fabulous recommendation letter that says they’re one of the best students you’ve ever had!  It happens.  [/quote]

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