Jason

A startling number of children are falling through the cracks at one Chicago Public School. More than half of the kids didn't even pass the eighth grade. As CBS 2's Jim Williams reports there is fierce debate about who's

It is a debate that has gone on for years in poor communities: do you blame the schools for the students' poor performance or do you blame their parents?

The mother of a one student who failed eighth grade says she got no warning her son was struggling. The school says she was notified, and other parents insist she did not do enough.

Tatianna Dennis' son, Tarrell, took his eighth grade photo complete with cap and gown, but the day before his grammar school's graduation, Tarrell learned he would not be marching down the aisle.

"I asked him why but he was so heartbroken, he couldn't really talk," said Tatianna Dennis.

Dennis says she had no idea her son was about to fail English; no written notices from Bradwell Elementary, she says, and no warning from his teacher.

Tarrell had failed English two times before, but Dennis thought he was doing better.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bradwel...2.1047246.html

40sondacurb

schools need a system that tracks kids progress online or something. I remember giving my parents some BS in middle school they got on me eventually, but I bought myself plenty of time to get behind that semester.

I mean it's not like you can just make it up on the final after a super cramming montage and show principle Bitterman that he can't hold you back.


I for one want to hear what the opinion of an authority on that matter. Maybe a certain hardware expert who was in the field...

yustr

We also need a little more honesty in reporting numbers. When I looked into the HS (of an unnamed So CA city) I read that the graduation rate was 90%. When I looked deeper I saw that there were 900 freshmen but only about 400 seniors. When I asked the administration how they got their grad rate I was told "We only include the students who enter their senior year. That's how CA does it."

I can't help but feel we're doing a lot of kids a major disservice. Not everyone needs the same level of schooling. I remember in Germany (in the 1980's) the kids took a test at about 14 years and their path was determined based on the results. Some went down the university/college path others went down the trades path. Sure it sent some down a path who could have excelled in the other but at least it wasn't a one-size-fits-all system.

I too am looking forward to our resident principal's opinion.

djaburg

Unless you're a teacher or are married to a teacher and see the apathy of the parents when confronted with the facts about their kid's ability or lack thereof, you won't understand why we are in the shape we're in. You have parents that don't care about their kids and their eduction. Certainly not all, but many. You can't possibly tell me that this lady had NO IDEA that her kid was failing school. There's no way that she couldn't see a report card, a progress report, a teacher phone call, or anything to indicate that there was an issue. I don't believe that. And if you, as a parent, are so oblivious that you don't realize that you haven't seen a report card, or are given lame excuses as to why the grades are the way they are, then you get what you get. I agree that there are issues in our education system, but let's not pass all the blame on the schools. I know when I was a kid, I would've gotten in BIG trouble if I failed classes. Perhaps we need to start holding our kids responsible instead of blaming everyone else for their failings, especially if it's their fault they failed.

bry623

Throw more money at the schools and then start a government panel of experts to oversee it so we can finally have some accountability.