If you were ever unfortunate enough to have attended a public school (like I have), you probably noticed something rather fishy in the classroom. That same brainless moron that sat behind you in biology LAST year is in THIS year's chemistry class.

Can you recall a hard class that made you bust your ass studying late in the night? By the sure grace of the gods you passed the class, alright, but that other kid who always walked through the door fifteen minutes late, never turned in a homework paper, and was too stupid to find his way to the chalkboard and back to his seat, HE passed the class right with you. What gives?

Well, my friend, you've become the victim of a form of injustice called "social promotion".

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, social promotion is the method practiced mainly by U.S. public schools where teachers pass would-be failures on the terms of merit, sometimes for their attendence record, and sometimes simply for the heck of it. Social promotion makes a mockery of the high school diploma, and unprepared students who slip through the cracks provided by social promotion find themselves in a world without a job, without an education, and without hope.

I don't feel like covering all the negative effects of social promoting in schools (believe me, there is more to it than what I've skimmed here), but because it is so wrong for this country's education system, the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) examined the topic in a report done nearly a year ago. Their solution: raise the academic standards and stick to them (imagine, an American school district actually sticking to a worthwhile policy... God bless this country).

Now, their ideas are soon coming into a reality. I saw on the news earlier today that social promotion will soon be "no more". High school slackers, prepare yourselves...

What this means is two things: 1- Students will rise up to the new expectations. This is proven to be true. Up the reward, tighten the vice, and students are capable of astounding their teachers, parents, and themselves. 2- Some students will not make it. The AFT reports that once academic standards have been risen, teachers will be trained to help those students who linger behind in class. It is a matter of reaching them, though, that will prove to be difficult.

Many students won't have incentive enough to achieve academically. Some schools are refusing to tie the new expectations with consequences, like advancing to better classes or graduation. Because of this, many freeloaders will still breeze through school, leaving all of the smart people like you and I left to wonder just WHY we're working so hard.

Why does it take years and years for people in this country to finally figure out that something we're doing isn't working? Let me ask you this: Why does it cost millions (maybe billions?) of dollars to get schools to change a policy? My answer for that one: I dunno. I'm dumbfounded that the government is pumping even more money into schools to change a policy. The last time I checked, "policy" wasn't some material object to be bought or traded, it was a process... a mental state. My only guess is that some of the money goes towards the training teachers will get when the new policy takes effect. That, or for their new, vibrating classroom recliners if the Republican Congress wouldn't stop them.

. comments or criticisms for the author or . zine .? we're intersted in hearing. not to mention we're interested in getting conversations going on the wwwboard. everything is open to the possibility of something more, get your mind as active as your mouth, or maybe get your mouth as active as your mind.
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