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Parent tells Harmony board automatic zeros for excused absences violate Texas law and harm school culture
Summary
A parent, Sariah Kamal, urged the Harmony board to review a practice of assigning automatic zeros for assignments missed during excused absences, citing Texas Education Code 25.087 and asking the board to revisit any policy that permits the practice.
At the Harmony Public Schools board meeting Feb. 28, parent Sariah Kamal urged trustees to review grading practices that she said penalize students for excused absences.
"My name is Sariah," she told the board during public comment, and said her daughter, a long‑time Harmony student, had maintained strong grades despite illness. Kamal cited Texas Education Code 25.087 and read language saying a student whose absence is excused "may not be penalized for the absence." She said she has observed some teachers entering automatic zeros as soon as an absence is recorded, which she described as contrary to the statute’s intent and damaging to school culture.
Kamam (sic) argued teachers who collaborate with families to set make‑up dates and allow students to demonstrate learning promote a more ethical, standardized approach to grading: "The teachers that go the extra mile and do not automatically put zeros in the gradebook are actually taking a solution‑oriented and a collaborative approach with the families," she said.
The board acknowledged the comment; no immediate policy action or vote on grading procedures followed during the meeting. The public comment was entered into the record for future consideration by the board and administration.
