Student’s Summit With Soviet Leader Rated Low-Grade History by Teacher

LOOMIS, Calif. — A student leader who went to Moscow and Washington to meet Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev is appealing his history teacher’s decision to lower his grade for unexcused absences.

Andy Leman, 18, a student at Del Oro High and regional president of the California Assn. of Student Councils, was in the only group of youths to meet with Gorbachev during his Washington visit Dec. 8-12.

In November, Leman and four other students and two adults sought a meeting in Moscow to ask the Communist Party general secretary to speak to students during his visit to the United States. But they succeeded only in visiting with some Soviet students.

Leman spent 11 class days in Moscow and Washington. History teacher Rolf Moeller’s policy is to lower a student’s grade by one point after five days of unexcused absences. That meant Leman’s A would fall to a B.

Leman, who says his overall grade point average is 3.4 on a scale where 4.0 is straight A’s, claims the grade is crucial on his record for getting into college.

“We have a policy that grades are affected by too many absences,” Moeller said. The teacher was defended by Del Oro Principal Bud Nobili, who said teachers have their own policies and “Mr. Moeller has been very equitable in enforcing those policies.”

The Placer Union High School District board was scheduled Tuesday night to consider whether to intervene in behalf of Leman. Loomis is northeast of Sacramento.

John Myres, superintendent of the district, suggested a closed session as allowed by state law in confidential student matters, Leman said.

But Leman added, “I want this to be very public.”