Teacher Defends Tutoring Amid Grade Allegations

PLAYA DEL CARMEN — Jessica Góngora Guerrero, a secondary school teacher with more than 20 years of service in basic education, has publicly stated her position after media reports alleged she conditioned students' grades on payments for private tutoring sessions.

In a press conference, the educator rejected the allegations and explained that the activities she conducted during the school recess were solely voluntary remedial courses open to anyone who wished to enroll.

"In these two decades of service, I had never before given tutoring, but for personal reasons I decided to offer it during this recess. I did it publicly, with announcements on Facebook, WhatsApp, and a teachers' platform. At no point did I request the presence of former students who had pending grades with me," she stated.

According to the teacher, a total of eight students participated, whose parents had voluntarily requested the course. One of the tutors even lent her daughter's notebook to demonstrate the teaching method used in class, which includes homework control, weekly parent signatures, and follow-up on evaluation criteria.

"I am known for being strict, yes I am, but I always make the rules and grading parameters clear from the beginning of the school year," she emphasized.

The controversy arose after a parent accused the teacher of failing his son despite having paid 1,200 pesos for the tutoring. In response, Góngora Guerrero clarified that she never guaranteed a passing grade to anyone.

"I do not fail students; students fail themselves when they do not meet the established requirements. I also do not give away grades; that is something that has always characterized me," she said.

The teacher stressed that she never conditioned grades on payments. According to her account, the student in question had two opportunities to take a make-up exam, scoring 17 and then 20 correct answers out of a possible 50, without managing to pass the subject. The last exam was graded in the presence of a representative from the Secretary of Education, named Narda, the parent himself, and the school principal.

"The young man obtained 20.5 correct answers. The tutor himself graded the responses with the answer sheet in hand. Even so, he confronted me, arguing that he had paid for the course and his son did not pass," she said.

The teacher specified that the tutoring sessions were held solely at a residence in the Cristo Rey neighborhood, where she used her own projector and materials, and denied reports that there were two locations.

"One mother even stayed to listen to the sessions while accompanying her son; everything was done transparently," she noted.

Regarding the matter, she added that the parent's anger was focused on the cost of the tutoring, which led her to decide to refund the money.

"I do not need those resources; I did it because I know there are almost no science teachers who offer this type of support. Unfortunately, it was thought that payment was a guarantee of passing, and that was never the case," she clarified.

In her message, Góngora Guerrero lamented that teaching staff are solely blamed for low academic performance, when it is also the task of tutors to provide follow-up.

"The problem of failing grades is often due to a lack of parental involvement. They must review the notebooks and support their children. We set the rules and the methodology, but the commitment must be shared," she affirmed.

The teacher also questioned why the case resulted in the public exposure of her private life and that of her family through recordings and social media posts.

"I have always managed my life privately, but I was forced to clarify because the facts were misrepresented. I do not want to leave the impression that I did something improper; my record is clean," she concluded.

The student will have a third opportunity to take a make-up exam, while the Secretary of Education will monitor the case to guarantee the legality of the process.