Stunned
It made Diane's blood boil when she saw how little effort the students put in. She had no idea how to proceed, but it seemed fitting to give the students 0%. However, the administration did not agree with her decision and informed her that the lowest percentage that she could record was 50%.
She knew she could not stand for this. She had to be firm in her beliefs, but she promptly got fired from her job. However, things did not end there.
Fired
After a disagreement about grading criteria, Diane Tirado stated she was fired from her job as an eighth-grade history teacher at West Gate K-8.
The 52-year-old had been a teacher for over 17 years and was passionate about her career. The only thing she cared about was her students succeeding. That, however, would be prove to be a difficult task.
Starting Fresh
Diane was quite a new employee at West K-8. She enjoyed the job, and she was well-liked by the students.
As a teacher, Diane has numerous responsibilities. One of them is giving the students assignments to test their knowledge of the course material. The students were given two weeks to finish their assignments. Little did she know that this was the beginning of the end.
Handing In
The time came for the students to submit their work to Diane. Some students work hard to do their best in assignments, but some students just don't hand in their assignments.
Some will have a valid reason but the rest is simply lazy. Diane hates laziness and when she started working as a teacher, she promised herself to never tolerate it with her students.
Putting In The Work
As Diane was collecting the student's work, she noticed that numerous students did not bring their work to school.
Diane knew that the students who did not bring their work to school were lazy. When students fail to do what is required of them, they should deal with the consequences. She firmly believed in this. However, things went horribly wrong from there.
Life Lessons
Diane's school of thought made sense. If one wants to be successful in life it is important to put in the work. If you owned a beet farm, but did little to no work, you would have no beets to harvest!
Even if you toiled on the same property, in the same place, with the same amount of rain and resources, another farmer could exceed you. Is that even reasonable?
Deserving Of More
Teachers are widely acknowledged as being responsible for raising the next generation of working adults.
Despite having this huge responsibility resting on their shoulders, teachers do not get paid enough or receive the necessary recognition. Diane knew she deserved more. She has had enough.
Earn It
Students loved Diane and she was good at her job, but she did not believe in spoon-feeding them. She saw potential in each and every one of her students and that is why she constantly pushed them.
According to Diane, her students need to earn their grades. This will soon be the source of all her problems.
Unprepared
It made Diane's stomach turn when she saw how unprepared her students were. Diane thought giving them a zero is a punishment that fits the crime, however, the administration did not agree with that.
She attempted to stand her ground but soon she was fired. She could not let things end on that note.
Bad Treatment
Diane could not comprehend what was happening. It did not make sense to give students a mark for work that they did not complete. At least, that was what Diane believed.
She wasn't going to let this go. Diane was unable to say farewell to her students because the school did not want her to do so. She knew she had to do something about this.
Says Goodbye
Before leaving, Diane left a note on the whiteboard telling her students that she had been fired for giving zeros for work not submitted. And students were in support of her.
Students took a picture of the note and started sharing it on social media. But not so fast. The administration had a different story to tell.
School’s Defense
The school claimed that her grading failed to incorporate the 'Individualized Education Program.' A program for children with disabilities, including preschool-aged children.
The school cited that as the reason she was relieved of her duties on the statement they later released. This statement didn't make sense to Diane. She continued fighting claiming she was innocent.
The Outcry
When she went to social media with her frustrations, there was an outcry. Some people felt Diane was making excuses for failing to follow policy. It did not matter what the policy was. Diane had to follow the policy.
And it seemed like other teachers were complying. So what made Diane feel she should be exempted?
Support
However, people not in support weren't as many. Lots of parents, including some at the school, felt that Diane was justified in her actions.
They felt that the school should be preparing students for the real world. With all the support in the world, she now did not have a job. How was she going to survive?
Fame
A couple of news channels interviewed Diane. Her story quickly gained traction. And it seemed like a lot of teachers shared Diane's sentiment.
Diana is now an owner of, Every Thing Air, an HVAC company in South Florida. And she seems to be doing well for herself.