[bendotero]

But they passed him. I can't say whether his mother is telling the truth or not, but if she is, they passed him without even notifying her that he was absent so often. In either case, he at least should not have been moved from English and Algebra I to the level 2s of those classes. Of course he was going to fail the other ones. So something crazy is happening that a student who is that absent can still get promoted.

[ng12]

By and large schools are not allowed to say "this student never shows up, we're kicking him out". There's a laundry list of regulations and perverse incentives that ensure underachieving students fail upwards until they give up and drop out.

What the school is hoping for is that he'll voluntarily drop out and - maybe - get his GED. That's usually the only out they're given.

[macspoofing]

>But they passed him

Because schools don't fail kids or hold them back as a matter of policy, and honestly, that doesn't matter. That's not excuse for the mother not knowing what's going on.

>hey passed him without even notifying her that he was absent so often

Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but she should take an interest. She's raising him. And it isn't like he failed one test. It's years of failed classes and truancy. Are you telling me a parent wouldn't see the signs that would make them at least go and talk to his teachers to see what's going on?

[ww520]

There were pressure from parents to force schools and teachers to pass students no matter what. Remember SAT was removed as an objective measuring standard? That was not an isolated instance.