Embezzlers don’t keep half the money

Cheating deserves more than a detention.

Originally published in the Moultrie News.

My son used AI to write a project. He got a week of detention and a zero on the assignment. I agree with the detention, but not the zero. That zero crushes his grade for the quarter, and it’s excessive since he already received a punishment. If they let him redo the assignment for half credit, that would still teach him that cheating doesn’t give him an out, right?

Not quite. Let’s go step by step.

First, good job calling AI-reliance what it is: cheating. Cheating is one of the most serious academic offenses a student can commit because it’s fraud. The report card may say “A,” but the student isn’t an A student — ChatGPT is.

No one respects cheating. It reveals a lack of integrity, and integrity should be the cornerstone of a student’s character. There is no shame in trying and failing. There is tremendous shame in stealing work and pretending it’s yours.

Would it concern you to learn that your doctor or pilot cheated throughout school? If so, you see another problem. Cheating can lead to significant (perhaps even dangerous) academic deficiencies, so it must be addressed early and seriously.

Hence, it deserves a tough penalty. Some might even argue that detention and a zero are too lenient. You disagree, but your objections don’t hold up.

Your first concern is that a zero damages the child’s quarterly grade. Maybe so, but that’s the risk he took. Cheating is like any other crime: high-risk, high-reward. Embezzlement might make you rich, but it might also land you in prison.

Similarly, cheating may earn grand accolades, or it may lead to disaster — in this case, detention and a cratered grade. You want to remove the zero and leave only detention. But detention alone isn’t a major deterrent; it’s what schools assign for minor misbehavior like running in the halls. By eliminating the academic consequence, you’re minimizing the risk and undercutting the seriousness of the offense.

And realistically, you’re overestimating the mathematical damage. Even with a flat zero for an entire quarter, students can still pass a course with a 60 just by making 80s in the other quarters. Would it take effort? I hope so. That’s how we learn that shortcuts aren’t always as short as they appear.

Such learning is crucial to this situation. A key reason schools issue consequences is to teach kids right versus wrong. The more serious the learning deficit, the more significant the penalty should be, so the child will stop and think next time before fracturing his integrity.

Some argue that cheating is a “behavior problem,” not an “academic problem,” so academic penalties are unfair. Not true. Behavior and academics are inseparable. Showing up, paying attention, and doing your work are all behaviors. Fail at them, and you fail academically.

You also suggest that two punishments for one offense are excessive. Actually, it’s quite common. We often see kids being grounded and having to clean their room. Can you imagine a lawyer saying: “Fine, give the embezzler 20 years, but don’t make him give back the money. That’s too harsh!”?

Obviously, there’s a vast difference between a seventh grader using AI to write a paper and an accountant stealing thousands of dollars. But the underlying bargaining of values is the same: forsaking your integrity to gain something you didn’t earn.

Finally, you suggest redoing the assignment for half credit so the student still learns a lesson. You’re close, but not quite there. Replace “half credit” with “no credit,” and you’ll have it. Embezzlers don’t get to keep half the money. It all goes back, with interest.

Now, if you really want to go next-level parenting, make him redo the assignment anyway, for zero credit. Then you’ll be working with his teacher in concert rather than in conflict, which will reinforce integrity far better than rescuing him from the consequences he’s earned.

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Jody Stallings has been an award-winning teacher in Charleston since 1992 and is director of the Charleston Teacher Alliance. To submit a question, order his books, or follow him on social media, please visit JodyStallings.com.