After the first semester of online schooling, teachers at Palo Verde High School started to notice that students were slacking on their work, and not getting it turned in on time. They wanted to come up with a solution that would be fair towards all students to make sure that they submit their work by the due date. The school came up with a new policy that explains students are to get 10% off their earned grade taken off of an assignment for every week that the assignment is late. 

This new policy has angered many students as they believe that it is unfair. Juliana DeLeon, a Junior at Palo Verde High School explains people have different things going on in their lives and “need that extra wiggle room.” DeLeon believes that between jobs and at-home life, teachers should be “understanding and flexible of one another’s lives and schedules.” 

High school students begin to take on more responsibilities in their later years (11th and 12th grade). They get their license, look for jobs, and even start applying for colleges. It is a stressful time in teenagers’ lives. Due to the circumstances of Covid, these times are even more stressful.

Lizdye Camargo Felix, a Junior at Palo Verde High School states that she “strongly dislikes the new late work policy” because “online schooling is already difficult.” Felix believes that “there is already enough stress between internet issues and devices,” that adding a late work policy makes everything even more stressful than it should be. 

Charron Thomas, a Senior at Palo Verde High School has the same thought process about this topic, as he believes that “some students, as myself, have a very busy schedule.” Thomas said, “the school needs to work with their kids that are in need instead of enforcing a late work policy which puts more stress on some kids.”

Despite what the students feel, it is clear that teachers have the students’ best interest at heart, and seem to only want what is best for them in order to help them succeed throughout their high school years. 

The new policy was made so that students will want to complete their work on time, and earn a better grade. Teachers also strive to give students an example of what life is like outside of school, whether it be working, paying bills, or even being on time to appointments. 

Amanda Mapes, a social studies teacher at Palo Verde High School said, “the new late work policy is working well,” because “students are still able to turn work in late, with a small deduction in points.” As a teacher, she feels that this new policy is beneficial to help motivate students to get their work done on time. 

Despite the stress that this policy may cause students, it seems that it is impactful in encouraging students to get assignments completed in a timely manner, and manage their time better than ever before.