Teacher fired for refusing to give students credit for homework not turned in

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (WCMH) — Should students get credit for work not handed in?

One Florida teacher said no, and took a stand.

And now she’s been fired for that move.

Motivation, inspiration– that’s what Diana Tirado strives to provide her students as a longtime teacher. 
“Teaching is a calling for me,” Tirado told WPTV. 

So she thought the same when she started teaching 8th grade history at West Gate in Port Saint Lucie last month.

But then she assigned an explorer notebook project that many students didn’t turn in. 

It was at this point Tirado found out about what she says is the school’s no zero policy reflected here in the student and parent handbook. 

“But what if they don’t turn it in, and they say we’ll give them a 50. Oh no we don’t,” said Tirado. 

Tirado was terminated on September 14 but there’s no clause mentioned in the letter from the principal since she was still in her probationary period. 

On her last day she wrote a message to students on her whiteboard that stated “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.” 

She sent a picture of the board through a class app and posted it on Facebook. 

It’s now been shared more than 400 times.

Tirado hopes this time she motivates policy change.

“I’m so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it’s not real.”