Friendly passing grades
The Los Angeles Unified School District has
got itself into a conundrum.
The new superintendent was planning to
end social promotion in all grades this year.
But now he has had to eat his words.
District officials realized ending social
promotion would stall the flow of classes.
Apparently, there are too many students
who would fail if not for the policy.
There is no way district schools can accommodate
the number of students who would be held back and the incoming class.
The problem is that social promotion is
indicative of what is wrong with our education system.
Students are being passed right along,
grade after grade, whether or not they have passed the basic requirements.
Then they arrive at Cal State Long Beach
needing a year or two of remedial education, just to be up to par with
other university students.
The only grades that will end social promotion
this year are the seventh and eighth.
At least high school students will be able
to work at a high school course level now.
We still need to find a way to end social
promotion with out burdening classes.
Maybe that is a reason to freeze the move
toward year-round schooling.
We remember a time when kids who did not
pass year-end tests would have to go to summer school.
The fear of losing summer vacation to schoolwork
maybe the best hope to end social promotion in elementary and high schools.
Possibly that will help curb the over-crowding
problem. |
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