School Promotions

As a school board member, I was the lone vote against the San Diego city schools’ newly approved promotion policy (“New Policy Leaves Teachers to Figure Out How,” June 5). A part of my rationale follows:

I am in favor of providing alternative ways for students to succeed. In fact, I was the only board member to vote for an alternative diploma for adult students based on measured competencies rather than course requirements.

This new policy encourages students being sent along from grade to grade when they haven’t reached grade standards. It does not mandate any change in the subsequent classes. That is left to the imagination of the teacher in the next grade.

Part of the schools’ contribution to the individual is promoting understanding of what each person does well, and what is difficult. You learn by failure, and by success, and with understanding of yourself you begin to choose your way in life.

If we legislate away failure, we can’t guarantee success. All we can do is lead students to believe that failure isn’t a part of life. But it is.

JOHN DE BECK, Trustee, San Diego Unified School District