I understand being here, at school, is a privilege. I understand that being a face-to-face student has many advantages (human contact being the principal one). However, I also understand that being here as opposed to being at home is debilitating. Yes, I know that being at home is also very debilitating for obvious reasons but the one advantage they have is the ability to cheat and that’s the aspect I’d like to hone in on today.

Let’s not pretend that kids don’t cheat. We do, adults do, everyone does if given the chance. And don’t for one second believe that COVID isn’t exactly that. COVID has become a blessing for some.

Just think back to last week when everyone was trying to decide whether or not to switch to the Virtual Academy. What kinds of input did you overhear in those conversations? Were they talking about switching back for fear for their safety? No, they were talking about all the extra hours of sleep they’d be able to get and all the minutes of class they’d escape. And in hushed conversations, they (we) were talking about all the different ways our grades would go up.

You might argue that most students are better than that, or that at least those who abstained from cheating in the past would continue to do so, but you’re largely wrong. That is the same point that one of my teachers tried to make and when the whole class met him with utter disbelief at his naivety, he was shocked. But then we turned the question back on him and asked: if you were a high school student juggling all these AP classes and you had the opportunity to cheat without much chance of repercussion, wouldn’t you? That made our point.

It’s not really a matter of morality anymore, I don’t think. I mean, it is, but it isn’t. Abstaining from cheating used to be a great way to gain some moral high ground, but now for all those virtual academy students, if you don’t do it you’re either an anomaly or you’re perceived to be some sort of goody two shoes. If you’re reading this as a teacher, you’re probably pretty disappointed. Then again, ask yourself the same question my class asked our disbelieving teacher.

So now that we’ve established the fact that as face-to-face students we aren’t as well off as online ones, let’s talk about what we could do about it. First of all, I think we should be allowed some of the same liberties that online students have (and all without jeopardizing academic integrity)! For instance, in one of my classes, we’re allowed to use our notes on assessments (but only if we did them), which means we can use outside materials as long as they’re ours. Meanwhile, online students will still have access to materials they didn’t work for (i.e., Google), but at least this levels the playing fields a bit and is extremely appreciated for those of us here at school.

Another option I’ve overheard is GPA inflation, but I don’t think that’s as good of an option. That is because I believe this option would undercut the few at home who still have some integrity and aren’t reaping the rewards of e-school. I know I said that most people were taking advantage of the situation, but I didn’t say all. So instead, let’s just take the moderate approach of letting students use their notes more often. I know that it’s becoming more widely accepted, but we still need more departments to follow suit.

I know that things aren’t easy for anyone right now and we’re all just trying to take it one day at a time, but eventually, the district is going to have to reconcile with the disparity in learning environments so we may as well try to get wrestle with it now.