If you’re a struggling student, boy do I have great news for you. You are now able to buy your grade! Just donate canned food, or donate to the AVID program for extra credit.

Rather than working hard to improve your grade, just bring in canned food for some quick and easy extra credit points. No longer do we have to rely on students’ morals in order for them to donate canned food and/or donate to AVID, we can just goad them with extra credit.

But seriously, this divides students between those who have the financial ability to provide cans, and those who might need the cans. What if both types of students were in the class? This system proves to be unfair to those who aren’t able to donate anything, and even takes the benevolence out of the drive.

If both types of students, those who might need the canned food and those who can afford to donate, were in the class, it would essentially give the wealthier kids a better opportunity to receive a better grade, though that particular student didn’t do anything more than the less fortunate student; the family is able to spend their money in a freer manner.

Students should feel prompted to donate cans of food to further support their communities, rather than taking advantage of this broken system. Why are we replacing morals with extra credit?

Teachers are doing students a disservice by falsifying a grade based partially upon “donations” rather than insisting that they master the material to earn their grade. Mastery of the subject and donations should not share comparable roles in the classroom whatsoever.

Grades should reflect understanding of material rather than amount of money spent to donate.

I have not once encountered someone who expressed genuine enthusiasm towards helping those who need it. I have only encountered kids who show excitement towards their grade being boosted.

The whole concept of bringing cans isn’t bad nor am I against it in any way, in case you felt I was, however the concept of coaxing kids to bring canned food is something I’m strongly against.

I have witnessed students brag to their peers about how much extra credit they have received for their cans, rather than how many cans they donated.

Likely, there are students amongst us in classrooms that need to receive canned food in order to eat anything. Are said kids supposed to donate canned food to themselves?

Last year in particular, a girl in my class had a 100% going into the midterm in AP Euro. She had brought in enough cans to boost her grade dramatically, ensuring her an A in the class. No matter what she received on the midterm, she would finish with an A.

If Roseville High School were a church, the canned food drive and fundraisers with alike benefits would equate to selling indulgences.

We’re providing students with the opportunity to buy their grade, leaving the kids who aren’t able to donate behind.

Not to mention how this type of incentive effectively takes emphasis away from helping the needy, and places it upon grades and extra credit.

Something that was once meant to be an act done out of the kindness of our hearts is now flipped completely upside-down. We shouldn’t even be calling these “donations” donations anymore. They’re now trades.