Middle School Teacher Says She Was Fired For Refusing To Give Credit To Those Who Didn’t Turn In Homework

Diane Tirado was a well-liked U.S. history teacher at West Gate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. However, according to People, she is now claiming she was fired due to giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their homework. Though Tirado had only been teaching at the school for a month, she had been made aware that the school’s handbook states that if a student doesn’t turn in homework, the lowest score they can receive is a 50 percent. Tirado did not agree with the policy and refused to give credit that she felt had not been earned. She claims this was the reason for her firing, and she did not go quietly.

On her last day, Tirado left a message for her former students on the whiteboard stating, “Bye Kids, Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life! I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50% for not handing anything in. [heart] Mrs. Tirado.”

Florida Teacher Claims She Was Fired for Giving Zeroes to Students Who Didn't Turn in Homework https://t.co/II2boaJqUF

— People (@people) November 3, 2018

The former teacher is explaining the reasoning behind her decision saying that she is preparing them for the real world where they will not be paid for work they didn’t do. She is trying to show them that real life is more than just showing up and sitting in a seat; you have to participate.

“The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard. Teachers teach content, children do the assignments to the best of their ability and teachers grade that work based on a grading scale that has been around a very long time,” she said.

She went on to discuss her disapproval of the U.S. school system, saying that teachers do not get nearly enough credit for the work they do to nurture and support their students. She pointed out that she realizes she isn’t a perfect person, but she does her best to go above and beyond for her students and be the best teacher she can be.

The school district is standing by their decision to fire Tirado, and saying that the reason for her departure was not due to the reason she is claiming on social media. In a public statement, the school refuted Tirado’s claims saying she was “released from her duties as an instructor because her performance was deemed sub-standard and her interactions with students, staff, and parents lacked professionalism and created a toxic culture on the school’s campus.”