Paterson School Superintendent – Give This Guy a Raise or Fire Him? [POLL]

Something very unusual is happening in the city by the falls.

You know, the city Lou Costello made famous.

The city also made famous by Joe Clark, the former principal of Eastside High School, who wouldn’t put up with the forces trying to take down his school.

The Superintendent there faced a crowd of angry parents over a decision to enforce a long-standing district policy that prevents underperforming students from advancing to the next grade.

According to this report, Paterson Schools Superintendent Donnie Evans told more than 100 parents at Eastside High School (yes, THAT Eastside High School) on Monday that allowing failing students to advance is fundamental to the district’s ills.

His presentation did not go over well.

Some parents question why the announcement was timed so close to the end of the school year.

Some came up with the excuse that it would place too much pressure on their kids to try and achieve passing grades before school ended.

Kesha Hopkins, the mother of a fourth-grader, was among thousands of parents who received letters from the district warning that their children were at risk of needing to attend a new summer school program to have another shot at being promoted, said she supports the policy in principle, but would have arranged for a tutor to work with her son, Jordan, and made sure he studied harder had she known earlier that he was in danger of being left behind.

“Two months left – that’s a lot of pressure on a 10-year-old,” she said.

So, let’s see…instead of making sure that her son applied himself throughout the year, she’s now concerned he’ll face the prospect of summer school.

Lord, too bad this program hadn’t been followed all along.

The report goes on to say that renewed enforcement of District Policy No. 5,410 also comes with a new mandatory summer-school program for students who are not deemed proficient at the end of the year. It was not clear Monday how many district students were at risk of attending summer school.

Students who participate in the program would be required to attend 30 hours of instruction in a district school over four weeks. Those who complete the program successfully will be allowed to advance to the next grade.

And of those who do not?

No promotion for you!

Radical!

Time to poll the Posse:

Comment as you see fit!