As part of its Fixing D.C. Schools series, the Washington Post ran a two-part story on a fifth-year senior at Coolidge High who wanted to graduate — but didn’t do homework or attend class regularly. Will Jonathan Graduate? and Fourth and Goal imply Jonathan Lewis is failing because he attends a lousy school. Yes, the school has many problems and there must be plenty of A, B and C students who are being hurt by class disruptions, inexperienced teachers and low expectations. But Jonathan isn’t one of them. He’s the one disrupting class, threatening teachers and keeping expectations low. There is no high school so good that it can educate a student who doesn’t show up and doesn’t do the work. Ninety percent of life is showing up, right? You have to show up.
Going to the Mat had the same reaction: This story “is not about DC schools failing, but about one student failing.” He’s failing himself.
After an extra year of high school, a lot of extra credit from teachers and a summer school class, Jonathan earned enough D’s for a diploma. He got a job as an airport baggage handler. He won’t hold it very long if he doesn’t show up for work.
“What can we do to raise the grades in your class?” asks the Assistant Principal of my school. “Nothing we can do,” I say. “But I kow what the children can do.”
Administrators in my county, Prince George’s-the county to the East of DC, always blame the teachers for students who fail classes. They look not at the homework or classwork clompleted by students and neve at the attendance rate. Heck, teachers get blamed for the attendance rate. We get blamed for everything.
The real issue is why was that nasty thug allowed to continue in school and disrupt everyone else?
The line of thinking is that you keep them in because it’s better than the alternative. But the school would do a much better job with the 40 or 50% who want to work.
That’s not to say I don’t have sympathy for the kids. I think they genuinely want to learn, and can’t. The exchange between Jonathan and his teacher was classic “How come I do all this homework and still don’t pass?” “You do the homework to pass the test”.
The homework is irrelevant. The issue is *learning* the subject, something that neither Jonathan or the teacher seem to be aware of.
It’s probably too late for Jonathan. Maybe he can get it together in a few years and go back for a GED, either in or out of prison.
To the extent that the school system could have done anything to prevent this, I think it would have been in K-6.
He got Bs in K-8. He clearly could read and write. Thus, flunking him was fundamentally a lie, when you consider how many well-behaved students can’t do that much.
I wonder what happens to the Jonathans of this world who are at middle class suburban schools. Do they get extra tutoring in math when they’re younger, so they end up being able to progress? Do their parents,with more time and more money, so they can force those Jonathans to stay in school?
On the one hand, Jonathan is an adult now, and he needs to take responsibility for his actions. On the other hand, if he had gone to better schools, schools with better teaching and more support, would things have turned out differently?
I don’t get it.
Did the schools force this kid not to attend?
Did his teachers force him not to do his homework or pass his tests?
When does this kid’s personal responsibility for his actions kick in?