A 13-year-old piano prodigy is treated as a truant instead of a star student.

[elleng]

Avery Gagliano is a commanding young pianist who attacks Chopin with the focused diligence of a master craftsman and the grace of a ballet dancer.

The prodigy, who just turned 13, was one of 12 musicians selected from across the globe to play at a prestigious event in Munich last year and has won competitions and headlined with orchestras nationwide.

But to the D.C. public school system, the eighth-grader from Mount Pleasant is also a truant. Yes, you read that right. Avery’s amazing talent and straight-A grades at Alice Deal Middle School earned her no slack from school officials, despite her parents’ begging and pleading for an exception. . .

Deciding that a truancy prosecution over piano competitions was ridiculous, Avery’s parents withdrew her from Deal. And this year, instead of touring the world as a first-class representative of D.C. public schools’ finest, she is going as a home-schooler. And no one is happy about it.

“We decided to home-school her because of all the issues, because it was like a punch in the gut to have to face the fight again this year,” said Gagliano, who works at Hertz Car Rental. “We didn’t want to do this. We want to be part of the public school system. Avery has been in public school since kindergarten. She’s a great success story for the schools.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-dc-a-12-year-old-piano-prodigy-is-treated-as-a-truant-instead-of-a-star-student/2014/09/08/58962746-3727-11e4-bdfb-de4104544a37_story.html

[NYC_SKP]

1. I reckon they can't collect ADA if she's not in school, if it's like California.

This kind of inflexibility is a big part of why many public schools are collapsing under their own bureaucratic weight.

A smart admin would find a way to provide independent studies credit for her and retain the ADA, if that's part of the problem.

How utterly stupid.

[elleng]

2. Yes, SKP.

DC public school's administrators have been miserable forever.

[Hoppy]

7. I betcha this wouldn't have happened if Michelle Rhee was still in charge.

[elleng]

9. Why do you bet that, Hoppy?

[No Vested Interest]

3. Avery was featured in a documentary on Children and the Arts, shown on

a local Public TV station this evening.
Her musical talents were obvious, and she is a spirited youngster.

She will succeed wherever she gets her schooling, though it's a shame the DC school system is inflexible.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. When I was in high school

and we went on school-sponsored orchestra trips, I had an English teacher that would mark those days as unexcused absences. I don't know if anyone stopped her or not.

Because every teacher thinks their subject is the most important one, and they don't want to hear that you have homework in any other classes to do.

[exboyfil]

6. In junior high my daughters were

in a "gifted" program that pulled out of class. They had the same issues with teacher complaints and not granting permission. Instead of working the issue out at the administrative/teacher level, they left the students in an awkward position. I am frankly troubled by pull outs - just like I am troubled by extracurriculars that impact attendance/studies.

[4b5f940728b232b034e4]

5. I'd like to know what the law is there

Some states have a maximum number of allowed absences. Maybe the administration's hands are tied in this matter. I know when I was in school that if you missed more than five days in a semester long class or ten days in a year long class that you automatically failed no matter what the reason. Several students were unfairly screwed by that law, but quite a few poorer students were helped greatly because it meant their parents (or usually parent) had to make sure they went to school. Overall, it was a good thing.

[elleng]

8. 10, but they have discretion.