Reply #18: At my daughter's middle school kids with under a 2.0 GPA [View All]

[LibDemAlways]

aren't allowed to participate in the 8th grade "culmination" ceremony. What a crock. These kids aren't being held back. They are being sent on to high school next year, so what's the big deal about letting them cross the stage and collect their piece of paper with the rest of the class.

They push, push, push kids with introductory chemistry/physics and high school algebra (both required) in 8th grade; US History, with heavy emphasis on art projects - make illustrated civil war trading cards including freehand drawings of the events and people depicted on each card - complete a research paper on a period in history such as "Manifest Destiny" examining people, places, and events. Include an annotated bibliography and an accompanying poster with illustrations that can be seen from the back of the classroom and text no less than an inch and a half high....blah, blah, blah...nonstop crap like that. Kids whose parents don't have time to help with all the projects suffer tremendously at report card time, and then are further penalized by not getting to "culminate."

My kid will cross the stage, and you can bet I'm going to be applauding mightily. Without my support, encouragement, nagging, help, and proofreading skills she could be sitting home that day, too.