Lynden Dorval: Parents In No-Zeros School Vote Overwhelmingly In Favour Of Zeros

The parents caught in the middle of a dispute between zeros-giving teacher Lynden Dorval and the Edmonton high school he worked for, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the school allowing teachers to assign zeros.

Approximately 50 parents met with school officials Wednesday night and voted overwhelmingly in favour of having the new principal at Ross Sheppard High School to change the policy that prohibits teachers from giving out zeros for assignments missed, in favour of simply marking them as ‘not handed in,’ the Edmonton Journal reports.

“Teachers should be given the flexibility to use their professional discretion in assessment, including assigning zeros,” says a recommendation designed by the parents and presented to the school’s new principal Mike Suderman, the Journal reports.

“We recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and feel that teachers are in the best position to determine what will motivate and inspire exceptional learning.”

Parents who attended the meeting objected to the current school policy vigorously, CBC reports.

"We should be tougher and more strict with our kids because the real world is different from fantasy land," Guillermo Gonzalez told CBC.

"When you go to work you don't get warnings so we must teach our kids to be responsible."

But despite the parents’ clear intention to do away with the school’s no zeros directive, iNews 880 reports there is still no word on whether that policy will be changed.

The feud between Dorval, a former physics teacher and Ross Sheppard High School reached a fever pitch in the spring when he was suspended for being in violation of the school’s no zero policy.

He was fired last month but was hired within a week by Tempo School.

The public outcry over his dismissal was sharp. Story continues below..

Shortly after, Ross Sheppard principal Ron Bradley announced in a letter posted on the school’s website that he was officially leaving his ‘principalship.’

Bradley will be taking a position of Supervisor of Leadership Development, with the Human Resources department at Edmonton Public Schools.