Posted on 06/22/2009 7:52:08 AM PDT by pabianice
Boy was allowed to advance to high school despite failing grades
HAVERHILL, MA -- At first, Demita Pendleton said she thought it was computer error.
At the end of the last school year, she received her son Damasae's report card — straight Fs. But the bottom of the Nettle Middle School report card had the words "promoted" to eighth grade on it.
"I called the school because I actually thought it was a computer error," said Pendleton, a single mother of five children, two of whom attend Haverhill schools. "Not one teacher had informed me that my son was failing not one class but all of them."
A year later — two weeks ago to be specific — with Damasae in the final days of eighth grade, Pendleton said she received a phone call from Nettle Principal Renata Bateman. Her now 14-year-old son was again failing most of his classes, but he was being "assigned" to high school anyway. And though the boy was being promoted to high school, Bateman told Pendleton her son would not be allowed to walk on stage or otherwise participate in a promotion ceremony at the school last Thursday.
Pendleton called Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan to complain that her child was not receiving a proper education, but instead was being pushed through the school system. She said Buchanan told her it is an "unwritten policy" in the district to "socially promote" students if the principal determines holding them back would not be in the student's best interest.
In an interview last week, Buchanan provided the same explanation. He said it is left up to principals whether to promote middle school students and which children will be allowed to participate in promotion ceremonies. He called the practice of letting principals alone make those decisions an unwritten policy that predates his administration by many years.
In high school, students are required to earn five credits for promotion to the next grade and 21 credits to graduate.
"That kid is about 6 foot five and 250 pounds," Buchanan said of Damasae. "He's a huge kid who doesn't belong in middle school. He looks like he could be driving to school."
Buchanan also said the teen is unmotivated.
"He's not a behavioral problem, but the principal determined holding him back won't help," the superintendent said. "The high school is alerted about incoming students who need extra help. A program is put on place to get them up to speed. Some of these kids end up doing fine, others drop out."
In a typical year, Buchanan said only a handful of students — three or four by his best estimate — are socially promoted to high school with failing grades.
Two years ago, the School Committee passed a policy that middle-schoolers who fail two or more core academic classes would have to attend and pass a summer school program before being promoted to the next grade. But the mandatory summer school program, which was initiated by Mayor James Fiorentini, is being eliminated due to budget problems, Buchanan said.
Despite Buchanan's assertion, School Committee members said there is no such thing as an unwritten policy — for promoting students or anything else.
"It's either a written policy passed by the School Committee, or it's not a policy," School Committee President Scott Wood said. "As far as I know, the committee has never endorsed social promotion. I certainly don't support it."
Committee member Kerry Fitzgerald said the board is developing new policies that will spell out academic standards for grade promotion and under what circumstances students at the earlier grades and in high school will be allowed to walk on stage for promotion and graduation exercises. She said there have been "a lot of issues" regarding both grade promotion and students not being allowed to walk at graduation this year.
"I'd like a policy or a practice where a struggling middle school kid is intercepted midway through the year with special services to get them up for promotion," she said. "I also don't like the idea of holding a kid back who is close to being promoted or graduating. But some committee members feel differently."
As for Pendleton's son, Fitzgerald said the School Committee interceded in the matter of the Nettle school principal who wouldn't allow the teen to walk at Thursday's promotion ceremony at the school.
"We told the superintendent we don't want any child who is being promoted to be kept from walking," she said.
Pendleton said she is happy her son was allowed to walk with his classmates Thursday. She said the mayor attended the ceremony for about 5 minutes, and asked the students how many were going on to Haverhill High School. She estimated only a quarter of the roughly 80 students raised their hands.
"My son is going to Lawrence High School's performing arts academy, where they also have job training classes," Pendleton said. "It's a shame, but I believe my son will get a better education in Lawrence."
Fiorentini, who also chairs the School Committee, said he does not support social promotion. He also said he was disappointed his summer school initiative was being eliminated.
"But I understand there's no money for it," he said.
“..Damasae’s report card — straight Fs...
... Pendleton, a single mother of five children,...
C’mon folks, it’s just a stereotype. No truth to it at all... :)
Hey, I’m all for piling on the public school system anytime, anywhere. But this kid is as dumb as a bag of hammers, and his mom must be too, after learning he was making all Fs, to complain that he was making all Fs the NEXT YEAR? Where was the home follow-up?
I guess she doesn't involve herself in his school work very much. Did you do your homework? Do you have a test coming up? How did you do on that quiz? etc. etc.
These kids are going to get chewed up when the reach the real world.
Any bets as to whether she can read the report card?
When was the last time she ever asked her son to hand over a test paper?
The “real world” for this kid is going to be the streets of Southie, and maybe a counter job at McDonalds. He doesn’t have the mental horsepower to manage middle school, much less an actual salaried job. Maybe with his size, the school system is figuring on getting him to high school, where he can be scouted by some sports franchise. But yes, most “socially promoted” kids, even if they do have some brains, aren’t going to be prepared for a work environment where they are actually expected to produce.
F=Fine
Here is a fine candidate for spending his life an an uneducated schlub who may not even have the “motivation” to be criminal.
In 20 years, I expect to have him and the others like him to be featured as victims of the failed education system and of being oppressed by evil white folk. Just like it happens today.
When will people wake up to this insanity?
I’m all for keeping this kid (and any kid) back for poor grades but in *this* case it maybe better to send him to high school.
If he’s 6’5” and 250 pounds, I’m sure they’d love to have him on the football team. If the kid’s interested, maybe that’s all it will take to be the carrot to make him start learning. Get the grades to stay on the team.
As a Personnel Manager for an industrial plant (70’s/80’s)it was not unusual to have a HS grad applicant unable to fill out an application form. They would either bring in a parent or girl friend to complete it or ask to take it home. With modern machines and procedures, they were not able to read the instructions to safely perform the necessary jobs. And some even had the gall to file a complaint against us for discrimination.
>With modern machines and procedures, they were not able to read the instructions to safely perform the necessary jobs.
Indeed so.
>And some even had the gall to file a complaint against us for discrimination.
Idiots. I hope they lost... and got stuck with the legal-bill for both sides.
This kid is going to be “socially promoted” either to the NFL or to your living room at 1 a.m. Which do you figure is more likely?
If he’s socially promoted into my living room at 1 AM, he’s going to be antisocially promoted to pine wood box — post haste.
That may have been true for 7th grade, but during 8th grade, she knew it was a problem. What did mom do about it? Probably nothing.
Given the headlines about NFL players, can I choose "Both" as an answer?
Right? Or is it politically incorrect of me to notice?
They could start educating these students that they charge the taxpayers a fortune.
Nothing but “F”s? Lets hope this kid, with an obvious lack of brain power, against all odds, turns out to be a productive, self supporting citizen. It can and does happen but as stated previously, the odds are against it happening.
But, if you shoot him in Massholechusetts, YOU will be the one going to jail, and sued in civil court for "denying his family a right to income." Don't you see how it's supposed to work now??? /sarcasm.
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