Before we start, Mr. Puorto is not involved in this petition.

To say the least, the return to school post covid was met with a lot of challenges. Thankfully, the caring staff of essential workers, such as Mr. Puorto, were about to ease the transition in multiple ways. My personal favorite, the one used in AP stats, was by creating fun competitions for small amounts of extra credit. The credit was hardly significant, only about 3 points, but it was enough to create a fun and engaging atmosphere where students were eager to learn. 

Recently, an anonymous person or group of people, most likely from a different classroom, reported this game to the administration and complained that other teachers did not give extra credit, but Mr. Puorto does.

Giving extra credit, no matter how small, as a prize is no longer allowed.

As a student in the class, I was there when the news was broken. At first, the class thought it was a joke, as Mr. Puorto is known for that. After we realized it was real, there was clear anger and resentment towards whoever snitched. 

We went through denial and anger, and this petition is bargaining.

I bring a series of questions and statements to the administration:

There is inherently a difference in grades that teachers give. Some teachers grade on a curve, others don't. Teachers also have different styles of teaching, and it is likely many students would receive a better grade if taught by a different teacher. Some teachers round, while others, often who teach the same course don't. That makes more of a difference in grades than ~5 extra credit points to the class per unit. Why do you turn a blind eye to these issues but draw the line here?

As a student in the class, I can tell you firsthand that this game brought some of the most engagement out of the class that I have ever seen? Is the benefit of increased engagement overshadowed by the cost of a slight advantage given to the winning students? 

I would assume that the average grade in Puorto's class is substantially higher than that of other teachers, which would give reason to follow up on this complaint. Has the administration considered that the discrepancy in class average is due less to the extra credit and more to the enthusiastic learning environment that this game creates? Why is Puorto being told to stop a program, that is generating better results for students, and other teachers receiving suggestions to implement something similar?

While this petition is a joke and only half-serious, the people signing it do genuinely wish for their beloved classroom game back, and their small but meaningful extra credit prize. Please take our points into consideration and reply to this petition. 

Thank you for your time.