This year, my daughter is going to a public school. She went to a Catholic school from Kindergarten to 8th grade and now she's a freshman at the local public high school. Some of the kids in her classes can't read. She's never seen this before. She can't understand how illiterate students managed to advance to the next grade and in to high school.
The problems of social promotions are so obvious to her as to defy explanation.
If it makes you feel even an iota better, the public school where my daughter just started kindergarden is amazing. They drive those kids hard and hold em back by the dozens early on. Even with 40 percent ESL population the test scores are some of the highest in the county. Of course its rural, conservative, community with an even smaller school district where admin has to come face to face with parents at the grocery store. Doubt the board in San Diego ever comes in contact with more than the most vigilent parents, let alone care whether they are despised or not.
ReplyDeleteA friend of my oldest went on to public high school after K-8 at our christian school. He told his Mom he was amazed at how the kids in class ignored the teacher and just continued talking as if they were at a party. He was a really smart kid and was in mostly honors classes at the public school. I hope the comment was in a non-honors class.
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