Teacher's unfair grading policy

[Unregistered]

I am in the 8th grade and I just found out today that I am failing science because I am missing one homework assignment. Science has always been my favorite class and I always received A's in it. I get 100% on all my classwork and every test I take. The teacher said she counts homework as 100% of the grade and class work and tests grades have no weight. I never knew this because I never miss a homework assignment before. The assignment I am missing is from over a month ago and she never said anything about it until now. Is it fair that I am going to fail the whole class over one homework assignment? It wasn't even a big assignment, just 5 questions, I answered 4 of them but I couldn't find the answer for the last question. She wouldn't accept it because she said it wasn't complete. Because of this grade I won't be able to graduate. I feel really depressed and helpless. I have ADD and my doctor said I should have reduced homework, but she never reduces it. I don't know what to do. I don't even want to go to school anymore. Please help.

[2NDFLOOR]

That does sound like an unfair situation based on how you're describing it. Most of the time, a teacher considers all aspects of a students work like tests, homework, participation and classwork...not just homework. Given you even did the majority of the assignment, you probabaly should have been graded on the questions you answered and given a zero for the one you didn't and then average them all out. Set up a meeting with the principal or vice principal and tell them exactly what happened, including that she doesn't give you a decreased workload. Maybe they will have better luck than you in helping to get her to see your side of the situation. If that doesn't work you may want to have your parents set up a meeting with them to discuss the situation because as you describe it, it does not sound reasonable. Call us anytime at 888-222-2228.