Parenting is key, very few students are just naturally driven. Very few.
Even great students under normal circumstances have not been good during this.
It's too much freedom (gasp!)*
These kids are lacking the structure and discipline and so they dont do anything. And I get it. Trust me, I do. But, at the same time, when I have deadlines/things to do I damn do them
*Think of college freshmen - 18 years old and on their own for the first time, something like 50% dont come back the next year. Ok, now dial that back a few years and it's way worse. If these kids were in a college setting (as in the class structure) they'd be screwed.
@BlackGun brought up something good. Those boys messed up and got fired.
We, educators, are supposed to be preparing these kids for life. Teaching responsibility, accountability, respect, how to act in society etc
But, while we might do a fantastic job during the 'normal' year, we (ahem, the higher powers) have dropped the ball.
My assistant principal has personally driven work to students. Ive hand delivered work to students (while on the food buses, not me driving to their house). It was online and made available in paper form - just had to ask for it.
And then kids AND PARENTS front like we're targeting their little babies because NOW we wont go back and get them stuff from round one (round 4 is Thursday) because they were slack. It's still online for them to do, but, no, thats too much.
Sorry, Im a bit bitter.
Again, I love my job, I love my school, and I LOVE my administration. But its the higher powers which make some choices that I dont fully agree with. And that's mostly the state Im speaking of.