• Front page
• Receive this content on your RSS reader

This Speakout has not been edited.

By Christine Ross

I read with great interest a recent Rocky Mountain News article discussing how Bruce Randolph School offers a summer program to help failing ninth graders get to grade level for high school graduation. I applaud those teachers who are contributing to this program as well as the school itself. The article pointed out that Denver Public Schools is unique in that it requires parents to “give their permission to hold their children back a grade — until they reach high school.”

I noted in particular that board President Theresa Pena stated, “I think the board has probably had a general concern that we really don’t hold our kids back ... until the district has a curriculum and staff training and a real program of alternatives, until the district offers something dramatically different ... we can’t.”

On the contrary, the district already has all of the above. DPS has had curriculum changes and improvements in almost every core subject in recent years. Educators have attended numerous staff trainings and completed hours of coursework on how to inspire our students to learn. My school offers many alternatives to enhance student learning, such as a homework club after school, and teachers often work 10 hour days in order to be available for our students.

Clearly, a “dramatically different” strategy is to simply hold students (and their families) accountable for learning. One way to do so is to retain students in their present grade if they haven’t successfully completed requirements. Without an established work ethic and accountability in lower grades, how can a high school freshman possibly be prepared for the fact that he or she must earn enough credits to move up and graduate?

As an 8th grade DPS teacher, I am frustrated by the fact that we are unable to hold back a failing student without the permission of their parent. Yearly, I implement numerous strategies to encourage students to do their homework, pay attention in class, complete class work and ultimately to do whatever it takes to perform at grade level. I initiate and attend repeated meetings with parents and guardians to encourage students to make the effort to pass. Unfortunately, all too often I hear parents flatly declare in front of their child that they will not give permission to hold their child back if they fail. This is a green light for most students to give up. (And, if students don’t get this message from their own parent, they certainly get the message from their peers.) This past school year, for example, after a parent announced she would not hold her child back, he spent the rest of the year without even picking up a pencil in my class. (Yes, he was capable of doing the work. Yes, I tried everything within my power to motivate him as well as offering individualized help. Yes, he failed mine and other classes. Yes, his teachers recommended that he be retained, and yes, he went on to 9th grade.)

There is absolutely no way I can force a child to try. Without some sort of consequence, some sort of accountability on the part of the student and his or her family, I cannot motivate a child who is already behind and sees no reason to catch up. This is the equivalent of getting a paycheck without showing up for work, This is the equivalent of getting a promotion without doing anything outstanding on the job. What kind of a message are we giving our children?

DPS teachers are tired of being labeled as poor teachers when CSAP scores and graduation rates are published. DPS teachers are tired of constantly learning new curriculums and working hours of overtime and/or sponsoring after school “homework clubs” that few students bother to attend. Why should anyone do homework or come in before or after school to catch up when the only persons who are held responsible for student learning are the teachers? DPS students are well aware that they will be passed on to the next grade with very little effort on their own part and it’s a tragedy.

Isn’t it sad that Bruce Randolph teachers must offer rides for students to attend summer school classes? Isn’t it sad that Bruce Randolph teachers must bribe students with snacks such as red hot cheetos to entice students to attend summer classes? Where were and are the parents of these children? Why were these students passed to the next grade without the skills to complete their high school work? Where were the parents of these children when they weren’t doing their school or homework? Where were the parents of these children at Back to School Night or parent/teacher conferences? The school district and the school board may think that we can’t afford to hold failing students back. I and many of my colleagues believe we can’t afford not to.

Christine Ross is a National Board certified teacher. She is a resident of Denver.

READER COMMENTS

When are we going to stop throwing money at kids and their parents to force them to get educated. If they don't want an education,then I don't want my tax money going to force them to go to school.

Why not concentrate the money and resources on students who want an education and students that have parents that are supportive and raise their children to study hard,go to school,and achieve something.

The lack of parental support and the student who doesn't care about being educated should not be given more money and resources.It's a losing battle and hurts the parents and students who are there to get an education.

Stop throwing money at an unsolvable problem and put that money where it can do the most good,Children that are in school because they want to be.

It's not just DPS it's schools all around Colorado.

I aked the principal why was I volunteering to read with children in 3rd grade reading kindergarten books. He claimed the parents refuse to hold them back. The students that are behind are given a watered down version of the curriculum,while the other students have to do 3 sheets of homework the behind student get one and it's different than what is handed out to the student that are working at grade level.

However ,I have had 2 parents come to me and ask how do they force the school to hold their children back a year. They are in 1st grade and way below the standards for 2nd grade. The principal has refused their request to hold them back.

This is why I want my children out of this school. The Principal is horrible and speaks out of both sides of his mouth. In other words ,he is a liar.

You are right. To a large extent, the parents of Johnny, Jose, Jamal and Jessica can't read, write or multiply either. These families do not value education.

The chains of ignorance are all too conspicuous in our society. Until those chains are broken, the odds are very high that the children and grand children of Johnny, Jose, Jamal and Jessica won't be able to read, write or multiply either. Unfortunately, the DPS promotion policy does nothing to help break those chains.

POST A COMMENT

• Space the classroom of the future
• Saving America from Media Market Failure
• Innovative thinking needed to solve traffic congestion
• No upside to Piñon Canyon expansion
• Questions about uranium mining in Weld County
• Don’t polarize health-care debate
• Store-front clinics, like those at Wal-Marts, a good option for health-care consumers
• Democrats depriving kids of a decent education