A fight is brewing at my grandkids school district

[Ms. Toad]

30. In the classes I taught,

that would shift very close to half to a special class.

Most of the problems the students who truly need a 50% = the lowest grade aren't dumb, and don't even necessarily need a special class. That would have been abou 75 students a year, from the 3 classes I taught alone. There were 10-20 other math classes - the vast majority with a higher failure rates than mine. Not to mention English, Social Studies, Science, etc.

They needed attention earlier in their educational career (our district had a no-fail policy until students hit 9th grade). So they were passed along year after year without mastering the content.

They needed a stable living situation. Many parents in the district saved up money for first and last month's rent, moved to our community from the housing projects in the inner city. Stayed there until they were evicted because they had no money beyond the first and last month's rent. They moved back to the projects and started the cycle over again.

They need to have enough family income (and fewer family members in jail) so that students did not have to work to help support the family.

And so on.

It has very little to do with having an ability to learn something - and a lot more with school being the least of their worries, to the point that it bears very little importance for them.

There is no money available. The parents in the district taxed themselves at a rate higher than the surrounding communities, but property values were so low that it raised very little money. They are currently under state control because the failed to get a passing grade on the state report cards, and have been for more than a decade.