1-Please provide 5 cross-examination questions for: Chris Moss Dr. Gerry Stein Sydney Payne Terry Preece Leslie Brown Alex Lloyd 2-Explain why/how/if you would use exhibits

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1-Please provide 5 cross-examination questions for:

Chris Moss Dr. Gerry Stein Sydney Payne Terry Preece Leslie Brown Alex Lloyd

2-Explain why/how/if you would use exhibits A, B, C, and D.

3-What settlement would you accept to avoid trial as the:

Plaintiff Defendant

use this read to help you answer the 3 questions:

2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 00- File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Objection: "Your Honor, the witness is giving an opinion on the ultimate issue the negligence of Mr. Smith." Response: "The witness is commenting that the driver was speeding. This is not the ultimate issue in this case." Rule 8. Additional Rules of Evidence: 1. Objections during the testimony of a witness must be made only by the direct examining and cross-examining attorneys for that witness. 2. Cross-examination is n_ot limited to the scope of direct questioning. 3. A short redirect examination, limited to no more than two questions, will be allowed following cross-examination, if an attorney desires. Questions on redirection are limited to the scope of the cross-examination, 4. If an attorney (on direct or cross-examination) repeatedly asks a witness to discuss the exact same matter, opposing counsel may object to the question as being \"asked and answered,\" It is in the court's interest to have the trial move along in a timely manner. 5. Witnesses must be treated with respect by opposing counsel. If an attorney continuously, and for no valid trial or evidentiary purpose, takes a disrespectful tone with the witness, the opposing counsel may object that the questioning attorney is \"badgering the witness.\" Rule 9. Special Procedures: Procedure 1. Introduction of Documents or Physical Evidence: Sometimes the parties wish to offer as evidence letters, afdavits, contracts, or other documents, or even physical evidence such as a murder weapon, broken consumer goods, etc. Special procedures must be followed before these items can be used in trial. Step 1: Introducing the Item for Identication a. An attorney says to the judge, "Your Honor, I wish to have this (letter, document, item) marked for identication as (Plaintiff's Exhibit A, Defense Exhibit 1, etc.)." b. The attorney takes the item to the clerk, who marks it appropriately. c. The attorney shows the item to the opposing counsel. d. The attorney shows the item to the witness and says, "Do you recognize this item marked as Plaintiff's Exhibit A?" Witness: "Yes." Attorney: "Can you please identify this item?" Pg 47 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) 14. 15. 16. Chris Moss has a fairly decent record in school. Chris received satisfactory grades in elementary school and Chris' attendance was good. In junior and senior high school Chris started to miss quite a bit of school and Chris' grades seemed to reect this fact. Although Chris passed all classes, it was with low grades. A concerned parent should have been at the school questioning what was happening. Chris' mother never came to the school. Alex's attendance has been good all through school. Alex has barely missed any classes. If Alex was absent there was always a note from home upon return to school. This way it was an excused absence. In elementary school, Alex received satisfactory grades and passed all classes in junior and senior high school. Alex has been present for all standardized tests and has continuously performed at grade level. We clearly cannot do the job of educating our youth on our own. It has to be a team effort. Students need to work hard in school and parents need to participate in their child's education or the system won't work. It is not the school's job to get Chris a job. The best we can do is to provide each student the opportunity to learn. You can't say the schools have failed Chris, but rather that Chris and Chris' mother must take responsibility for low grades and the lack of academic ability. This I swear under penalty of perjury. W Dr. Terry Preece 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard Pg 25 of 53 Chris M. V. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:41 PM Sat Oct 14 oo- File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Mock Pretrial Motion This section of the mock trial packet contains materials and procedures for the preparation of a pretrial motion on an important issue. The judge's ruling on the pretrial motion will have a direct bearing on the admissibility of certain pieces of evidence and the possible outcome of the trial. All pretrial information can be used in each side's case in chief. The pretrial motion is designed to help students learn about the legal process and legal reasoning. Students will learn how to draw analogies, distinguish a variety of factual situations and analyze and debate constitutional issues. In the case at hand, the parties will be arguing the following issue: What duty does a school have to educate and assess its students, particularly when certifying them as high school graduates? Plaintiff may consider the following in preparation for their pretrial motion presentation: 1. What should schools realistically be required to do to advance student learning? 2. What responsibility does a school have to inform students of their educational progress of lack of progress? 3. Courts routinely set a standard of care for physicians and surgeons. Should the court set similar standards for educational institutions and their representatives? 4. Will a failure to allow this case to proceed result in permitting the defendants to maintain decient standards? The defense may consider the following in preparation for their pretrial motion presentation: 1. Can schools be required to make students learn, or don't the students bear a major portion of the responsibility for learning? Pg 5 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > ('5') Dashboard Calendar E To Do Q Notications E Inbox 2:46 PM Sat Oct 14 70% 7 File Details Q FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) I represent and warrant that I have read and fully understand the foregoing and seek employment under these conditions: APPLICANT: Chris Moss Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Pg 30 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center Chris M. v. NCPSD OFFICIAL EXHIBITS A. Chris Moss Application for Bowers and Jenkins B. New Columbia New Columbia Senior High School, Progress Report For Chris Moss, Grade 5 C. New Columbia New Columbia Senior High School, Progress Report For Chris Moss, Grade 8 D. New Columbia New Columbia Senior High School, Progress Report For Chris Moss, Grade 11 Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox2:41 PM Sat Oct 14 oo- ' Previous File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Brief History on Education Reform and the Tort of Educational Malpractice The first reported cases of educational malpractice hailed from Louisiana (in 1973), California (in 1976) and New York (in 197 9). However, the idea of educators being held responsible for education of their students did not take hold of the courts until 1980. Between 1980 and 2001, there was a barrage of cases dealing with the tort of educational malpractice, also referred to as \"failure to teach\" or \"failure to educate\" torts. Parents and students sought relief from school systems which they viewed as inadequate in their ability to properly educate. A monumental event in the educational movement came in January 2002, when President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 . The new law was an open acknowledgement and acceptance of the need for vast educational reform. It was enacted to improve the performance of students in lower performing schools and provide safeguards to ensure educational accountability. The Act also required states to implement measures for schools to assess student performance. Although there is much debate on as to the success of the No Child Left Behind Act, it is undeniable that the issue of educational accountability is of major importance. Pg4 of 53 (\"In-la Ml u klf'DQ'n and Drnnnn _ - 9 ('5') Dashboard Calendar [To Do Q Notications E Inbox 2:46 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) BOWERS & JENKINS 6430 Placida Boulevard Suite 300 Metro City, New Columbia, 019881 JOB APPLICATION PART I: Personal Information FULL NAME: Chris Moss ADDRESS: 2300 14 Street CITY: Metro City STATE: New Columbia ZIP: 01920 SOC. SEC#: 105-85-9738 DATE OF BIRTH: 03/20/82 TELEPHONE: 546-1082 POSITION DESIRED: Mail Clerk List highest educational level you have attained and list all schools that you have attended: Highest Educational Level Attained: 12th Grade Schools Attended: New Columbia Hi School New Columbia Jr. Hi School New Columbia Grade School What was your grade point average at each of the schools you listed? C C+ List your previous four jobs: Hamburger King, Cashier What special skills do you possess? What days and what hours are you available to work? Mon too Fri 9 too 5 Pg 32 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar BE To Do Notifications Inbox2:46 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) NEW COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT OF PUPIL PROGRESS GRADE SUMMARY Pupil: Chris Moss School: New Columbia Junior High I.D. Number: 186-4546-21 Grade: 8 School Year: 2003 - 2004 Teacher: Jenkins Dear Parent, You are encouraged to confer regularly and maintain close contact with your child's teacher. GRADING SCALE: A B C D U 100-93 92-85 84-78 77-70 Below 70 SUBJECT Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Final One Two Three Four Grade SCIENCE C- C+ C C+ C MATHEMATICS C C C C C SOCIAL STUDIES C+ C C+ C C+ ENGLISH D D C C C- READING C+ C+ C C- C HEALTH/PHYS. ED. C+ C B B- ART B B+ B B- MUSIC C C- C C+ C ATTENDANCE Final RECORD Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory One Two Three Four Grade TIMES TARDY 5 DAYS ABSENT 2 4 5 10 21 Teacher Comments: (Advisory 1): Teacher Comments: (Advisory 2): Teacher Comments: (Advisory 3): Chris did Teacher Comments: (Advisory 4): not appear for the standardized test and needs to make it up within 30 days STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES IOWA TESTS: 5th Grade_ 4.0 8th Grade: INCOMPLETE Pg 36 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar BE To Do Notifications Inbox2:44 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 15' 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Chris' mother to nd out why Chris was missing school. There is no record of anyone calling Chris' mother to fmd out the reasons for Chris' nonattendance. 4. In addition, when Chris missed the eighth grade standardized tests, the school should have arranged for Chris to make them up. If the school district believes in giving standardized tests as one means of evaluating students, then the schools should be sure all students take the tests. Perhaps if the school had given Chris the test in eighth grade they might have noticed Chris' reading ability had dropped. 5. Although Chris passed all classes, it should have been clear that the basic academic skills needed to be successful were beyond Chris' ability. Evaluation techniques should be supportive of the goals the school district is trying to accomplish. Since all students should graduate from high school with a proficiency in the English language, any evaluation program that does not pick up a student lacking these skills is not meeting its purpose. Several teachers in the school district informed me they had been instructed by the principal of the school to pass students who had questionable grades. They were told the students needed to be moved on so they could get an education. Students don't get much of an education if they don't have a foundation to build on. 6. New Columbia School District needs to change its curriculum and policies. It should develop a curriculum that has input from teachers, parents and students. If everyone participates in the planning of the curriculum, it is more likely to meet the needs of the students and the parties will have a larger stake in making sure it will work. Individual evaluations should be done for each student, and based on the evaluation, an individual learning plan should be developed that meets the Pg 17 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:42 PM Sat Oct 14 00- File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) The Mock Trial Pretrial Motion Hearing Procedural Information The prosecution and defense may have only one pretrial attorney each, presenting the arguments and the rebuttal for their team. We encourage judges to challenge the attorneys with questions, including about the case law, during pretrial arguments. All of the materials in the mock trial packet can be used for the purposes of the pretrial motion. No objections are allowed during pretrial arguments. In order to present a position in the most persuasive manner, students should carefully review and become familiar with the materials provided in this packet. Additional background research may supplement their understanding of the constitutional issues at hand, but such supplemental materials may not be cited in arguments. The pretrial motion will be made orally. No written pretrial memorandum may be submitted to the judge. The timeline of the Pretrial Motion Hearing is as follows: 1. The hearing is called to order 2. The judge asks the plaintiff's pretrial motion attorney to summarize the arguments made in the motion. 3. The plaintiff has a total of 10 minutes to present its argument. The rst three minutes will consist of an uninterrupted presentation of its argument. During the next ve minutes, the judge may ask clarifying questions. The judge must cease asking questions once a total of 8 minutes have elapsed and the argument must end. The nal two minutes will be reserved for any rebuttal of the opposing side's arguments. Pg7 of53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:42 PM Sat Oct 14 4 Previous II. 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) New Columbia Educ. Code Section 2100: Administrative Duties Each competent school administrator shall support the process of learning by providing appropriate and reasonable materials and equipment and by making reasonable assignments of tasks. Each competent school administrator shall enforce the statutory requirements to the best of their ability. 4. Case Law Jane Smith v. Charlotte School District, 65 A.2d 54 (NC, 1988) Student sued the school district for failing to educate her in the basic academic skills. She graduated from high school with the inability to fill out a job application or do simple mathematical computations. Statutes in the state required school districts to provide analysis of students' individual needs and to develop learning programs which meet these needs. In addition, the state provided for certication of teachers and viewed them as professionals. The court made a nding of educational malpractice based on the school district's failure to meet the requirements of the statutes. The court stated "... public educators are professionals. They hold themselves out as possessing certain skill and knowledge with some minimum degree of competence. In addition, like other professionals, they must often make educated judgments in applying their knowledge to specific individual needs. As professionals, they owe a professional duty of care to children who receive their services and a standard of care based These are cases which may be used in the mock trial. It should be assumed they are not from New Columbia and not binding on this Court. Pg 10 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2244 PM Sat Oct 14 '5\" 70% - ' File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) program. 5. Maybe if Chris had not been so lazy and had participated in the reading program, Chris' skills would be better. Alex Lloyd is also a student in the twelfth grade and has been attending New Columbia schools since kindergarten. Alex did participate in the program and doesn't have any difculty with reading skills. The program has been successful, as demonstrated by the fact that the reading test scores have gone up for those students who have participated in the program. The average increase for students was a whole grade level. 6. We have a set curriculum in all subject areas that is used district-wide. Each school has some exibility in adding to the curriculum, but it does act as a guideline and must be followed at a minimum. I'm proud to say that when I was the curriculum specialist for the district, I designed the English (which included reading) curriculum we are still using. 7. Our math curriculum includes the basic skills students need. They learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. In the more advanced classes they also learn algebra, geometry and trigonometry. We may not teach things like how to make change, but that's something the students should be learning at home from their parents. 8. We do offer a one-semester course in the high school called Life Skills. In this class, students learn how to ll out a job application, go on job interviews, balance a checkbook and maintain a family budget. Chris took this class, but received a D. Chris was absent from the class quite a bit. Maybe if Chris had attended the class every day there wouldn't have been this problem with lling out job applications. Pg 23 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:41 PM Sat Oct 14 71% O 7 File Details Q FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) 2. How can educational damage to students be measured, proved, and remedied by courts? 3. Wouldn't allowing this case to proceed open a floodgate for cases by other dissatisfied students? 4. How can students show that schools cause their educational deficiencies? Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox2:43 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 15' 70% I - File Details Q 57 -l FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Afdavit of Chris Moss Plaintiff 1. My name is Chris Moss. I am eighteen (18) years old and a senior at New Columbia Senior High School. I live at 2300 14th Street, apartment number 2, in Metro City, New Columbia. 1 live with my mother and younger brother in a one bedroom apartment My mother has always worked fulltime for an ofce cleaning company in order to support us. 2. When I was younger, I would stay with a neighbor, Mrs. Jones, after I came home from school until my mother returned from work. Mrs. Jones has seven children of her own, so it was no big deal for her to have me over at her house. When I turned eleven my mother let me stay by myself. I didn't need anyone looking after me. Lots of nights my mother doesn't get home until late. She tries to put in a lot of overtime because we need the money. 3. I've always gone to public schools in New Columbia. I don't particularly mind going to school. My attendance at school was very good in elementary school. I did miss some school in junior high and high school, like all kids do, but it didn't have any impact on my grades. I still passed all my classes. 4. Sometimes the assignments don't make much sense to me. Once when I asked for help the teacher was too busy. I don't like to ask my mother for help. She's usually tired when she comes home from work and doesn't have the energy to look at my schoolwork. 5. Most of my classes have been pretty boring. My teachers don't seem very competent. Usually they just lecture to us. They keep giving us a lot of information, but don't really get us involved or check to see if we understand. Pg 12 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preecc Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:46 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) NEW COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT New Columbia Senior High School REPORT OF PUPIL PROGRESS GRADE SUMMARY Pupil: Chris Moss School: New Columbia Elementary School I.D. Number: 186-4546-21 Grade: 5 School Year: 2000 - 2001 Teacher: Walker Dear Parent, You are encouraged to confer regularly and maintain close contact with your child's teacher. GRADING SCALE: A B C D U 100-93 92-85 84-78 77-70 Below 70 SUBJECT Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Final One Two Three Four Grade SCIENCE B- B- B C+ B. MATHEMATICS C+ C+ C C C SOCIAL STUDIES B- B B B+ B ENGLISH B- C C- C C READING B- C+ C+ C+ C+ HEALTH/PHYS. ED. B- B- B B- B- ART A B B A B+ MUSIC C+ C+ C+ C+ C+ ATTENDANCE Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Final RECORD One Two Three Four Grade TIMES TARDY 1 0 3 DAYS ABSENT 0 1 0 0 Teacher Comments: (Advisory 1): Teacher Comments: (Advisory 2): Teacher Comments: (Advisory 3): Teacher Comments: (Advisory 4): Chris has been doing very well in school but seems to have difficulty with reading. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES IOWA TESTS: 5th Grade 4.0 8th Grade INCOMPLETE Pg 35 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center Previous Next 9 Dashboard 888 Calendar B To Do Notifications Inbox2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 10. ll. 12. 13. 14. 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) During the actual trial, teachers, attorneys, other coaches, afliated non- participating team members, parents and all other observers may not talk to, signal, or otherwise communicate with or coach their teams. Team members may communicate with each other during the trial. Instructors from opposing teams are advised to sit next to one another, if possible, and be reasonable. The purpose of this rule is to prevent last minute coaching; it is not intended as a device to disqualify an opposing team. Neither team may introduce surprise witnesses nor call witnesses from the other side. All witnesses (three for each side) must take the stand, in whatever order or sequence determined by the party calling them. Witnesses will not be excluded from the courtroom during the trial. All teams in the tournament must consist of from three to eight attorneys, and three witnesses. Exceptions may be made by the DC Street Law Clinic after consultation. Only students registered in their high school for the Street Law class as of February 07, 2008 will be eligible to participate in the Mock Trial Tournament unless otherwise approved by the Director. Teams are expected to be present at the Superior Court for the District of Columbia by 5:30 pm. the days ofthe trials. Trials will begin at 6 pm. The starting time of any trial will not be delayed for longer than 15 minutes. Incomplete teams will have to begin without their other members, or with alternates. J UDGING Presiding judges for the mock trials may include Judges and Commissioners of the District of Columbia, law school faculty, members of the DC. Bar, other attorneys, or others approved by the Director. All judges receive the Guidelines for Judges, Judge's Score Sheet, the Simplied Rules of Evidence, and the Mock Trial Packet. Presiding judges are asked to make a legal decision on the merits of the case, but this does not affect a team's score. The decision on team scores is made by a scoring panel, consisting of two or more scorers selected by the Street Law Staff and, in some instances, the presiding judge. The criteria for scoring are discussed in the Guidelines for Scorers and the Score Sheet. All decisions of the judges are nal. Pg 41 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece _ - 9 Calendar [To Do Q Notications E Inbox 2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 00- ' Previous File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Step 4: Dramatize the conict in the statements. (Remember, the point of this line of questioning is to demonstrate the contradiction in the statements, not to determine whether Mrs. Burke was in town or out of town.) Example: "So, Mrs. Burke, you testied that you were out of town on the night in question, didn't you?" "Yes." "Yet, in your afdavit you said you were in town, didn't you?" "Yes." Note: For an impeachment for a contradictory prior statement, the point is that because the witness has made two contradictory statements about a matter, the witness may not be believable on that matter. The contradiction also may cast doubt on the witness' truthfulness, generally. Impeachment does NOT disprove a statement; it only casts doubt on either statement. Procedure 3. Qualifying an Expert Only a witness who is qualied as an expert may give an opinion as to scientic, technical, or other specialized knowledge in the area of his/her expertise. (Note: A lay witness may give an opinion about something related to one's common experience (see Rule 6) Experts cannot give opinions on the ultimate issue of the case. Before an expert gives his/her expert opinion on a matter, the lawyer must rst qualify the expert. There are two steps to qualify an expert. First, the lawyer must lay a foundation that shows the expert is qualied to testify on issues related to that expert's eld of expertise. To lay a foundation, the lawyer asks the expert to describe factors such as schooling, professional training, work experience and books he/she has written that make a person an expert regarding a particular eld. Second, once the witness has testied about his/her qualications, the lawyer asks the judge to qualify the witness as an expert in a particular field. Example: The wife of Harold Hart is suing Dr. Smith and General Hospital for malpractice. She claims they did not treat Mr. Hart for an obvious heart attack when he was brought to the hospital. Mrs. Hart's lawyer is examining his expert witness, Dr. Jones: Dr. Jones, what is your occupation? I am a heart surgeon. I am Chief of Staff at the Howard University Medical Center. What medical school did you attend? I graduated from Georgetown Medical School in 1978. Where did you do your internship? I did a twoyear internship in cardiology at John Hopkins University from 1978 1980. Did you afterwards specialize in any particular eld of medicine? Yes, I specialized in heart attack treatment and heart surgery. Pg 49 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preecc Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center P9 P9??? Fr? 9 69% 1: 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 00- '-;'-' 69% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) To assure each side a fair trial, certain rules have been developed to govern the types of evidence that may be introduced, as well as the manner in which evidence may be presented. These rules are called the "rules of evidence." The attorneys and the judge are responsible for enforcing these rules. Before the judge can apply a rule of evidence, an attorney must ask the judge to do so. Attorneys do this by making "objections" to the evidence or procedure employed by the opposing side. When an objection is raised, the attorney who asked the question that is being challenged will usually is asked by the judge why the question was not in violation of the rules of evidence. The rules of evidence used in real trials can be very complicated. A few of the most important rules of evidence have been adapted for mock trial purposes, and these are presented below. Rule 1. Leading Questions: A "leading" question is one that suggests the answer desired by the questioner, usually by stating some facts not previously discussed and then asking the witness to give a yes or no answer. Example: "So, Mr. Smith, you took Ms. Jones to a movie that night, didn't you?" Leading questions may not be asked on direct or redirect examination. Leading questions may be used on cross-examination. Objection: "Objection, Your Honor, counsel is leading the witness." Possible Response: "Your Honor, leading is permissible on cross-examination," or "I'll rephrase the question." For example, the question can be rephrased: "Mr. Smith, where did you go that night? With whom did you go to the movies?" (This would not suggest the answer the attorney desires.) Rule 2. Narration: Narration occurs when the witness provides more information than the question called for. Example: Question - "What did you do when you reached the front door of the house?" Witness - "I opened the door and walked into the kitchen. I was afraid that he was in the house -- you know, he had been acting quite strangely the day before." Witnesses' answers must respond to the questions. A narrative answer is objectionable. 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 1;\" 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) 4. Tests are made up of multiple choice, ll in the blank, true/false, short answer and essay questions. Before each test, I review the material that will be covered by the test. In addition, I read the questions from the test out loud so I can be sure all the students understand the questions. A student can pass the test if he or she gets all the multiple choice, true/false, ll in the blank and short answer questions right. 5. Sometimes I don't give a regular exam for student grades. I use alternative grading methods. For example, often the students get to participate in a mock trial. They have to prepare for it and I grade them on their preparation and their actual participation. I give the students a sheet that indicates how I will grade them on each aspect and what skills I am looking for in their work. This gives students an opportunity to pull up their grades if they don't do well on tests. 6. The school's policy is to pass students whenever possible. The principal gives a pep talk at the beginning of each school year. We are told all students should be helped to meet their potential. Our learning program and evaluation system should be designed to help students progress to the best of their ability. 7. Chris is a very personable and likeable student. Chris often participates in class and offers good ideas in class discussions. I would have liked to see Chris do more homework, but at least Chris was usually in class and participated. Chris has opinions about everything and never hesitates to voice them. It adds a lot to the class. 8. Chris isn't a very good test taker; his written work was poor and the test grades reected this. Most of the grades were Ds and there were a couple of Cs. However, Chris did do well on special projects. Last year Chris was a witness in ' Previous Next > - I 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Evaluations of students are done in several ways. Report cards are distributed four times a year and deciency notices are sent to all parents mid- quarter if their child is failing a class. Report cards in elementary and junior high school must be returned to school signed by the parent(s). In the senior high we mail the report cards to the home. Parent/teacher conferences are held twice a year. We close the schools for a day and parents can sign up for a conference with the teacher during the school day. We also have an open house at all the schools within six weeks of the opening of school. This is held in the afternoon and parents get to see what their children's classes are actually like. Parents are encouraged to visit the school and talk to the teachers at any time. Of course, we can't pull teachers from the classroom to talk to parents, but we do take messages and teachers will call parents back. We feel it's important for the family to take some of the responsibility for their child's education, so we encourage parents to be actively involved in the schools. We use parent volunteers and they do fundraising for the schools. We don't have much patience for these parents who just send their kids to school without checking what's going on. They are just so irresponsible. We also evaluate the students with standardized tests that we administer in the fth and eighth grades. Chris' scores in fth grade were barely at grade level. In eighth grade Chris missed the exams due to declining attendance and the tests were never made up. Chris and Chris' mother, through a written notice, knew it was Chris' responsibility to make up the test after school within 30 days, but they did nothing. Pg 24 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:41 PM Sat Oct 14 71% O File Details Q FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW COLUMBIA IN AND FOR NEW COLUMBIA COUNTY Chris Moss Plaintiff Civil Case No.: CV01-192008 V . The New Columbia Public School District ) and; Dr. Terry Preece, as an agent/employee of the NCPSD Case Summary Chris Moss lives at 2300 14th Street in Metro City, in the state of New Columbia, and is a senior at New Columbia Senior High School. New Columbia Senior High School is a public school within the New Columbia Public School District. Chris has been enrolled in New Columbia public schools since entering kindergarten at the age of five. Chris has progressed from grade to grade and has always at least minimally passed all classes. Chris has never been tested for any learning disabilities, and the standardized test scores indicate Chris is an average student. Chris is scheduled to graduate on time and receive a high school diploma at the end of the school year. Chris' basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic are extremely weak. The basic skills Chris possesses are so poor that Chris finds it difficult to function adequately in society. Chris has difficulty reading simple books, the newspaper, a menu in a restaurant, writing a simple letter or making sure correct change is given by a store clerk. The foregoing summary of the case is provided solely for the convenience of the participants in the Mock Trial Tournament. This overview itself does not constitute evidence and may not be introduced at trial or used as impeachment. Pg 1 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar B To Do Notifications Inbox2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 1;\" 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Afdavit of Alex Lloyd Student, New Columbia Senior High School Witness for the Defense 1. My name is Alex Lloyd and I am 17 years old. I am a senior at New Columbia High School and have been attending New Columbia public schools since I was ve. I live with my mother and stepfather in a two-bedroom apartment at 2300 14th Street, apartment number 5, Metro City. I live in the same apartment building as Chris. My mother and stepfather both work. They do take time to check my schoolwork and usually at least one of them goes to the school for parent teacher conferences and open houses. 2. My attendance at school is very good. My mother doesn't let me stay home from school. Sometimes I don't feel like going, especially when it's snowing or something, but I know I would be in a lot of trouble if I didn't go to school. 3. My school average is about a C. I could probably do better but I only work hard in those classes I really like. I have been going to the reading program that was started three years ago. I was encouraged to do so by Ms. Gomez, the school counselor. She said my reading scores on my eighth grade standardized tests were low. It seems to have helped my reading ability. My reading level has increased and schoolwork has become a little easier. 4. I started working on the weekends and after school last year. I wanted to get some work experience so it would be easier for me to get a job after I graduated from school. I've been working in a department store that offered me a full-time job when I graduate. I didn't have any problems getting a job. I took my time and carefully lled out the job application at several places. When I took the Life Pg 29 of53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Prcccc Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > - I 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:44 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 15' 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) disappointed when I looked at Chris' job application. It was clear Chris had difculty lling it out. Chris' writing and reading skills are not that good, and Chris could not adequately deal with our important mail functions. 7. I also found out Chris was red from Hamburger King because Chris kept messing up the change being given to customers. I need someone who has at least basic academic skills. Applicants don't need to be college material, but they do need some basic smarts. Lots of our employees move up the ranks to supervisory positions. Chris wouldn't be able to do that. I doubt Chris would even be able to do the basic operations required for the mailroom job. 8. We don't have any employees currently working at Bowers & Jenkins who have gone to New Columbia public schools. When I rst started working for Bowers & Jenkins, I hired three people who had graduated from New Columbia Senior High School. All three were also weak in reading and writing skills. 9. One person quit working after two months on the job. He got tired of the commute. It's no fun having to train someone who leaves the job so soon. I had to re one of the other workers because she couldn't handle the job responsibilities. The other person moved to another law rm where he is paid more money. He's been working out ne. This I swear under penalty of perjury. mam Sydney Payne Pg 21 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:45 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details Q FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) our mock trial and won an award for best witness in the citywide competition. If the work is interesting and someone works with Chris, the level of work produced is very good. This I swear under penalty of perjury. Leslie Brown Leslie Brown Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 4 Previous File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Witness: "This is a letterl wrote to John Doe on September 1." (Or witness gives other appropriate identication.) e. The attorney may then proceed to ask the witness questions about the document or item. Step 2. Moving the Document or Item into Evidence. If the attorney wishes the judge or jury to consider the document or item itself as part of the evidence and not just as testimony about it, the attorney must ask to move the item into evidence at the end of the witness examination The attorney proceeds as follows: a. The attorney says, \"Your Honor, 1 offer this (document/item) into evidence as Plaintiffs Exhibit A, and ask that the court so admit it." b. Opposing counsel may look at the evidence and make objections at this time. c. The judge rules on whether the item may be admitted into evidence. Procedure 2. Impeachment On crossexamination, an attorney wants to show that the witness should not be believed. This is best accomplished through a process called "impeachment," which may use one of the following tactics: (I) asking questions about prior conduct of the witness that makes the witness' truthfulness doubtful (e. g., "Isn't it true that you once lost a job because you falsied expense reports?"); (2) asking about evidence of certain types of criminal convictions (e.g_, "You were convicted of shoplifting, weren't you?"); or (3) showing that the witness has contradicted a prior statement, particularly one made by the witness in an afdavit. Witness statements in the Mock Trials Materials are considered to be afdavits. In order to impeach the witness by comparing information in the afdavit to the witness' testimony, attorneys should use this procedure: Step 1: Repeat the statement the witness made on direct or cross-examination that contradicts the afdavit. Example: "Now, Mrs. Burke, on direct examination you testied that you were out of town on the night in question, didn't you?" (Witness responds, "Yes.") Step 2: Introduce the afdavit for identication, using the procedure described in Procedure 1. Step 3: Ask the witness to read from his or her afdavit the part that contradicts the statement made on direct examination. Example: "All right, Mrs. Burke, will you read paragraph three?" (Witness reads, "Harry and I decided to stay in town and go to the theater.") Pg 48 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:47 PM Sat Oct 14 00- File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Witnesses must have directly seen, heard, or experienced whatever it is they are testifying about. A lack of rsthand knowledge is objectionable. Example: "I saw Harry drink two beers that night. I know Harry well enough to know that two beers usually make him drunk, and he seemed drunk that night, too." Objection: "Your Honor, the witness has no rsthand knowledge of Harry's condition that night." Response: "The witness is just generally describing her usual and actual experience with Harry." Rule 6. Opinions: Unless a witness is qualied as an expert in the appropriate eld, such as medicine or ballistics, the witness may not give an opinion about matters relating to that eld. Opinions are objectionable unless given by an expert qualied in the appropriate field. Example: (Said by a witness who is not a doctor) \"The doctor put my cast on wrong. That's why I have a limp now." Objection: "Objection, Your Honor, the witness is giving an opinion." Response: "Your Honor, the witness may answer the question because ordinary persons can judge whether a cast was put on correctly." Ruling: A judge will likely sustain this objection because it may not be within an ordinary person's knowledge to know whether an incorrectly placed cast will cause a limp. As an exception to this rule, a lay witness may give an opinion based on common experience. Example: "It looked to me like Harry was drunk that night. I've seen him drunk and have seen other drunks before.\" Objection: "Objection, Your Honor, the witness is giving an opinion." Response: "Your Honor, the witness may answer the question because ordinary persons may judge whether or not a person appeared drunk based on the witness' experience." Rule 7. Opinions on the Ultimate Issue: Witnesses, including experts, cannot give opinions on the ultimate issue of the case: the guilt or innocence of the defendant or the liability of the parties. These are matters for the trier of fact to decide, Example: "I believe that Mr. Smith was negligent in driving too fast in this case." Opinions on the ultimate issue in a case are objectionable. Pg 46 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:44 PM Sat Oct 14 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) needs and learning styles of the individual students. The student's progress in that individual plan should be examined regularly and any problems or progresses should be provided to both parents and students. The current evaluation system in the New Columbia schools consists of standardized tests in fth and eighth grades and report cards issued four times a year. As far as I can tell, there is no mechanism in place to make sure all students are given the standardized tests. Also, there is no guarantee that students or parents pay attention to the report cards. Follow-up should be done with parents whose children are in trouble in school. I have been told that the current reading program is a class before school where the teachers read a book with the students. To my knowledge, there is no accounting for the varying reading levels of the students or a proper mechanism to measure the students reading progress. The reading program should be redesigned to include these elements: (1) developmental reading - systematic, sequential instruction that begins in the preschool years and continues through high school; (2) functional reading - practice using reading to solve problems in widely diverse school and other life areas; (3) independent/recreational reading - time and materials to foster lifetime reading habits ; and (4) corrective/remedial reading - help for children who need it for either poor skills, habits or attitudes There is no good reason Chris could not learn. Chris is an intelligent, personable and verbal student and has the capability to learn. The school system just failed to educate Chris and should be held accountable. Pg 18 of53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:44 PM Sat Oct 14 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Afdavit of Dr. Gerry Stein Education Specialist Witness for the Plaintiff My name is Dr. Gerry Stein. I have a BA. degree in elementary education, a Masters degree in supervision in education, and a Doctorate in education, specializing in curriculum development. I was a teacher for 10 years, a principal for four years and superintendent for curriculum development for two years in Lake City, New Columbia. I moved to Metro City two years ago and applied for a similar job, but Dr. Preece didn't hire me for the position, so I have been doing private consultation with individuals and school districts since that time. The plaintiff is paying me $1,000 for my testimony. I spent about four hours interviewing and testing Chris' basic skills. Although the test scores indicate Chris is below grade level at this time, Chris is intelligent and could have learned if Chris was taught properly in school. A curriculum must meet the needs of all the students and help them reach their potential. I also spent a great deal of time reviewing written policies and procedures of the school district and have found them lacking. The district is not meeting the needs of individual students and their families and is not following all of its policies. The district has a policy in regard to attendance. If a student is out, the parent is supposed to be called in the morning to nd out why the student is not in school. The student is supposed to return to school with a note from the parent or a doctor. When Chris' attendance started to decline in junior high school, the school should have checked the situation out. No one from the school contacted Pg 16 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:41 PM Sat Oct 14 oo- ' Previous File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Chris has applied for several jobs during the past year and a half and has been unsuccessful in nding and holding a job. Chris has had difculty in lling out job applications due to poor reading and writing skills. Prospective employers feel Chris cannot handle minimal responsibilities in a job. Chris has also been looking for a full- time job to begin after graduation and has not been able to nd one. Chris believes the inability to nd employment is directly related to a lack of basic academic skills. Claims and Defenses Chris is suing the New Columbia Public School District and Dr. Terry Preece for educational malpractice ,which is classied as a tort. Educational malpractice is not widely recognized, but is emerging as a new cause of action in many jurisdictions. Chris claims the school district, and Dr. Preece as the implementer of the district's educational policies, have negligently failed in their statutory duty, under New Columbia Education Code Sections 2097, 2098 ,2099, and, 2101, to educate Chris in the basic academic skills. Chris claims the defendants have a statutory duty to educate students and to meet the individual needs of students in the school district and that they have failed to do so in this case. Since Chris has not acquired the basic skills necessary to succeed in society, Chris is unable to nd employment and will be unable to provide for basic needs in the future. The defendants claim they have met their duty, which they describe as providing educational opportunities for students enrolled in the schools. Chris had the opportunity to attend school and was exposed to the same educational opportunities as other students who were able to learn and master basic academic skills and more. In addition, the defendants assert that there is no proof that the schools or their agents are responsible for Chris' failure to learn, as there are many outside factors that contribute to a student's inability to learn. Pg 2 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:46 PM Sat Oct 14 70% O 7 File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Q How did you find out about his position? Newspaper PART II: Skills Evaluation Alphabetize the following by last name: James Ingram, Sally Rodant, Graham Chapman, Loretta Rodriguez, Trevor Roe, Dwayne McIntosh, Terrell Ford, Justin Brooks, Alexander Mars, Marc Elias, Garland Chapman, Corey Lawton, Regina Howell, Mike Montana, Yvonne Alexander James Ingram Dwayne Mcintosh Garland Chapman Sally Rodant Terrell Ford Corey Lawton Graham Chapman Justin Brooks Regina Howell Brenda Rodriguez Alexander Mars Mike Montana Trevor Roe Marc Elias Yvonne Alexander Organize the following zip codes numerically: 02210, 14211, 20001, 92069, 01224, 10012, 13323, 14321, 13598, 48201, 96065, 22201, 20036, 12350, 14222, 22301 02210 13323 14222 48201 01224 14321 20001 92069 14211 13598 22201 96065 10012 12350 22301 Please solve the following problem. Imagine that you are responsible for placing a postage stamp on each piece of mail that goes out of the mail room. You receive: three letters from Mr. Hundleby's office, four from Mr. Thompson, seventeen from Mr. Jareau, six from Ms. Harrison, and one from Mrs. Jones. Before you have stamped these letters, Mr. Jarreau rushes into the mail room to say that he did not want to send four of his letters and takes these letters back to his office. How many stamps do you need? 28 33 30 Previous Next 9 Co Dashboard 888 Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox2:44 PM Sat Oct 14 0.. File Details FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) 4 Previous ('5') Dashboard Afdavit of Dr. Terry Preece School SuperintendentI New Columbia School District Witness for the Defense My name is Dr. Terry Preece and I am the Superintendent of Schools for New Columbia School District. I have a Ph.D. in Education and Supervision and have been superintendent for the district for the past 12 years. Prior to that time I was assistant superintendent for 7 years, a curriculum specialist for 3 years, a principal of the senior high school for 4 years and an English teacher for 5 years. All my work experience has been with the New Columbia School District. I'm very proud of our school district. We have a good, traditional educational system. Most of our teachers have been with the school district for over 15 years and they know their job very well. From kindergarten through twelfth grade, the students are exposed to a well-rounded curriculum. The basics, such as reading, writing and arithmetic, are taught. We also have strong social studies, science and vocational training programs. Three years ago we implemented a program in which all students in the district read for the rst hour of every school day because we feel reading is so important. In elementary school the students read from the basal reader series. In junior and senior high school, they do independent reading, since by that time, they have the basic skills for reading and we are concentrating on comprehension and increasing their joy ofreading. In junior and senior high school, the students don't get a grade for the reading class and several of the schools offer the class the hour before school ofcially begins. However, there are enough teachers available for all the students who want to participate in the Pg 22 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 9 Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:43 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 15' 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) wasn't planning to go on to college, but I thought I would get a job, save some money and then get a place of my own. It always feels crowded in our apartment and I would like some space to call my own. 10. I started looking for a part-time job last year. Before that I had to watch my younger brother and couldn't work after school. I went to some of the fast-food stores, the supermarkets, department stores, and other neighborhood stores to see about a job. I thought I could work in one of those places because I have friends with jobs there. The rst place I went I had a lot of trouble lling out the job application. I couldn't read all the questions they asked and ended up answering the questions wrong. I felt like a real dummy. After that, when I was applying to other places, I tried to take the application home with me so I could have a friend help me ll it out and then send it back. 11. I did get hired by Hamburger King last year. I worked there for about a month. For some reason, while I was working there the new computer cash registers kept going out. We had to gure out the amount of change each person should get from their purchase. I couldn't gure out the right amount of change. People would get impatient while I was trying to gure it out. A couple of people took advantage of me and demanded more money than they were supposed to get. I ended up being short a number of nights. The manager caught me giving too much money back and got really angry and red me. I can't blame him for ring me. I know the store can't afford to lose money all the time. 12. A couple of employers I talked to seemed to really like me. They said if I could improve my reading and writing skills they would hire me. I really wanted the job at Bowers and Jenkins and tried hard to do well on the application. It Pg 14 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the D.C. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:43 PM Sat Oct 14 00- 1;\" 70% I - File Details Q 57 a] FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Sometimes they'll have a student read something from the book and then ask us questions about it. Even though I can't read, that never bothered me. If I got called on to read, I would just say, "I'd rather not." I could always answer the questions when someone else read the paragraph Before an exam the teachers usually hold a review session. This would be really helpful because I could memorize exactly what they wanted me to know the night before the test and then forget it right away. I even memorized key words so I would know what answers to put where. I never understood the written material but the review sessions helped me pass the tests. 6. I heard there was a new reading program being offered at the high school a couple of years ago, but I gured there was no point in going. It was early in the morning and I don't like to get up too early. Also, I had trouble reading, so what was the point in going to school and sitting in a room with a lot of other students and trying to read a book? I spoke to a couple of friends about the program and it sounded dumb and boring. 7. In math class I learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide, but I never had to use the skills in real situations. I didn't learn any practical skills like giving change or balancing a checkbook. In lots of math classes we were allowed to use calculators, so I didn't even have to memorize basic math facts. 8. I know I'm not the brightest student in school, but I do try to do my work. I enjoyed my social studies class with Leslie Brown last year, especially the mock trial. I learned a lot in her class. 9. My mother always looked at my report card and since I have always passed all my classes, she was pretty happy with the way I was performing in school. I Pg 13 of 53 Chris M. v. NCPSD and Preece Developed by the DC. Street Law Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center 4 Previous Next > - I 9 53 Dashboard Calendar E To Do Notications E Inbox 2:42PM Sat Oct 14 00- ?71%- - File Details Q 57 -l FMS 117-01: Culture Race and Education (FA23) Afdavit of Chris Moss Plaintiff 1. My name is Chris Moss. I am eighteen (18) years old and a senior at New Columbia Senior High School. I live at 2300 14th Street, apartment number 2, in Metro City, New Columbia. 1 live with my mother and younger brother in a one bedroom apartment My mother has always worked fulltime for an ofce cleaning company in order to support us. 2. When I was younger, I would stay with a neighbor, Mrs. Jones, after I came home from school until my mother returned from work. Mrs. Jones has seven children of her own, so it was no big deal for her to have me over at her house. When I turned eleven my mother let me stay by myself. I didn't need anyone looking after me. Lots of nights my mother doesn't get home until late. She tries to put in a lot of overtime because we need the money. 3. I've always gone to public schools in New Columbia. I don't particularly mind going to school. My attendance at school was very good in elementary school. I did miss some school in junior high and high school, like all kids do, but it didn't have any impact on my grades. I still passed all my classes. 4. Sometimes