I will never have my children in a state run institution. Private or homeschooling is the only way to go. Every day the stories coming from liberal run institutions reaffirm my beliefs.
There probably aren't any farms in this area of the San Fernando Valley, but there are always family businesses. I really hope this idea doesn't catch on at any other schools.
Why should they be denied the right to participate in graduation, the only pre-requisite would be attending and completing high school.
Apparently that's not enough anymore for some people. Not only are K-12 classes dumbed down, but now colleges might have to be dumbed down further, too.
Another subject not mentioned is the illegal alien problem, endemic for LAUSD. Gray Davis has already signed legislation for illegal aliens who attend high school in CA all to qualify for in-state tuition at all community colleges, CSU's, and UC's (UC tuition approved by Regents). Forcing high school students to apply to college will only exacerbate the budget shortfall.
I will never have my children in a state run institution.
Not all public schools are that bad. You just have to see the good ones, where parents are very involved in classrooms and curriculum selection, where parents have strong ties with the teachers, and where the neighborhood is good. It helps if the district is small, so parents can make a huge difference. The good schools don't make news.