I write this post with a swell of emotion, disbelief, brokenness, and shock. I question myself, what else could I have done to create public awareness? It just hit me tonight that the long battle to advocate and protect our most vulnerable students from being victims of the most rigid graduation requirements in the nation, has come to an end. The punitive policy made its destination. Graduation ceremonies begin this week and will end by the following week across our state.
What does being No. 1 in the nation look like? During his PowerPoint presentation to the legislators, our state superintendent showed a slide that listed the other top nine states under Washington to show how we take the No. 1 ranking. During the presentation, there were no slides that showed the cost of being No. 1. The cost? 2,000 students who met all graduation requirements but fell short on one state math standard will be denied their high school diploma.
Superintendent Dorn and all the legislators in Olympia are aware that the 2,000 kids represent a higher percentage of minority students and students of poverty. The superintendent and legislators also were very much aware of inequities of opportunity that surfaced in April. Not all students were offered the same options for passing the state standard. There were consistent gross errors in communication with parents and placing students in other options that would have helped them meet the state standard. This is what is so disturbing: the legislators and the state superintendent gave priority to an ideology over equal opportunity for all students and fairness.
Washington State has confirmed that each senior in our state will be defined by a policy that has no evidence-based research to demonstrate that it is worth denying students their high school diploma. Not one legislator was ever called out by the media to state her or his position and justify its consequences. The State of Washington has put itself on very dangerous ground. It has chosen to be the gatekeeper of opportunity. Our education system defines a student's worth by one test. "You are worthy, you worked hard to pass the math standard, you may have your diploma and move forward in your life." "You however, have had plenty of chances to pass the math standard, you have not worked hard, you are lazy, therefore we reject you, and you are denied not only your diploma, but we really want to send a message, you are a state-forced dropout!"
How do I reach out to the students who have a life full of ACEs and tell them they are champions! They have had to deal with so much stress in their lives that their brain development was not wired to do abstract concepts. The courage just to get out the door each morning to come to school is an incredible achievement. How do I erase failure from their forehead when they have carried those feelings deep inside? How do I reach out and say you have value, you deserve to be the special person you were meant to be? This punitive policy just reinforced the ACEs that are unseen by this elite policy. We hurt them emotionally, we have abandoned them, we have labelled them failures, and we have sent them down a pathway to hell. Without their diploma we have robbed them of hope and a positive future.
2012, all 2,000 would have graduated. The research is very consistent of the students who earn their HS diplomas, the majority move forward in life and find a career choice that matches their gifts and talents. The research also tells us that most of these graduates contribute $127,000 to our tax revenue and remain independent of government. The research is consistent that each dropout costs the taxpayer $292,000 over that dropout's lifetime and these dropouts remain dependent on government. There is no research that shows that failing a state standard in Algebra is a predictor to failing life.
I am ashamed to be part of a system that chooses to define lives over one math test. I'm offended that we have no leadership that would protect the vulnerable from injustice. It is morally wrong. Those of us who have committed our lives to working with those who have been wounded by ACEs can understand the additional emotional pain our state inflicted as it robbed the hope of so many kids who have demonstrated amazing resilience. They stayed in the race to be the first ones in their family to graduate...and we have tipped the scale on them. I am so sorry.
Comments (5)