Rules Are Rules! Even For A Girl Who Might Not Live All That Long Past Graduation
The "zero tolerance"/"zero thought" brigade known as public school administrators strikes again.
At Opposing Views, Dominic Kelly writes:
A Texas teen battling cystic fibrosis was heartbroken when school officials told her that she couldn't walk at graduation with her friends because she wasn't completely finished with her last required class.Reports say that Victoria McKennon, 17, has been battling the rare genetic disease for most of her life. It's rare that people with the disease live long enough to walk across the stage for their high school graduation, but McKennon has beaten the odds. Even though she's a great student, the teen has had to miss many school days because of her illness.
Despite her absences being excused, she has had to play catch-up in order to be at the same place as her friends. McKennon is caught up enough to where she only has to complete one class during summer school in order to officially graduate, and the teen's parents have asked the school if they'll allow their daughter to walk across the stage during the big ceremony with her friends in June.
"I've had this entire ceremony thought of in mind, at the big place and all my friends walking on stage, and then after you get off, you're like, whoa I'm done with high school. This is great," McKennon told WFSB.
"I don't know how long Victoria is going to live," Victoria's mom Grace admitted. "Of course we always aim for the moon, the sky, and the stars, but in reality her life span is limited, and so every experience is very important for her."
Rotten bullies. Have to treat her like she's the same as some kid who skipped school all year to smoke pot out by the Dumpster.
There are people in the world, for whom the little things are large triumphs, and to keep them out on a technicality is just inhumane.
Yep, it just goes to show how things have changed.
I remember when I graduated HS, we had a classmate who had fallen behind - through no one's fault but his own! He was a screw up.
However, he, like this young woman, only needed to take one summer school class to complete his credits. But, they let him walk anyway. Supposedly they let him walk to demonstrate to him that hard work can get you rewards.
Clearly, at my school they were trying to think of the student first. Now, they too often think of the students last.
charles at April 18, 2015 4:49 AM
The principal? Sarah Watkins:
sarah.watkins@pisd.edu
469 752-9310
Let her know how much you support her standing by her principles...
DrCos at April 18, 2015 6:12 AM
I respectfully differ. The young woman hasn't yet earned her diploma, so why should she be allowed to walk with her class? This is a slippery slope (yes, that's something of a cliche, but an apt one). Who next will be given an exception from the rule? This isn't about hair length, or Sudafed in a locker, this is about an achievement that means additional income as an adult and expanded opportunities. Congratulating the young woman on an as yet unearned achievement demeans the achievement for others. Too bad she's ill, but the lesson that life is unfair is a good takeaway at any age.
roadgeek at April 18, 2015 6:30 AM
That is rather cold and insensitive.
This girl has already learned all the life lessons she will ever need, unlike many around here who are apparently above the rest of us.
DrCos at April 18, 2015 7:02 AM
Leave the principal alone. Aim your wrath at the school board, they're the ones that actually set policy and would likely fire the principal for breaching said policy.
Yes, it would be better if she had the intestinal fortitude to tell the board "go ahead and fire me for letting this student walk", but I won't question her sense of self-preservation.
As for being "undeserved", in a year no one will fucking care except the girl's parents. Not even you, roadgeek. So here's $5, go buy a cappuccino and may the barista spill it on you.
I R A Darth Aggie at April 18, 2015 7:51 AM
At my college graduation, we were all permitted to walk. Those that, upon further investigation, were found to be short or some credits or still owe some money at the business office simply got a notification inside their diploma folders in place of a diploma. (And, yes, I got my diploma.)
I don't see why a similar concession couldn't be made in this girl's case. Who cares if she participates in the ceremony?
I think her fellow students would prefer that she did walk in the ceremony.
Patrick at April 18, 2015 7:59 AM
" this is about an achievement that means additional income as an adult and expanded opportunities."
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Thanks for the laugh, funniest thing I've read all week. It is not like they are giving her a 4 year BS degree and she might be dead in a year anyways. Let the girl walk with her class.
Matt at April 18, 2015 8:30 AM
Hey, come on now. It's Texas.
It's not like it's part of America or something.
We should mess with it.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at April 18, 2015 10:41 AM
Thank you for listing Sarah Watkins' telephone number. I just called and left a message stating one shouldn't treat the sick the same as you treat the truant. I also asked if she was a christian and asked "what would Jesus do"?
Samm at April 18, 2015 11:22 AM
Those are the rules. Don't disobey them, follow them or change them. And she just learned to follow them. Imagine if her health care providers acted like her and did not follow the rules.
adam bein at April 18, 2015 12:42 PM
actually this IS NOT a slippery slope, as they say, for one very important reason: each hardship case is it's own, individual need. For that reason you will decide each on it's own merits, if you have the will to lead.
I am sure the Principal could make an exception if needs be, and nobody's brain would break, except those whose minds are too small to see an act of mercy.
Kid is dying.
She probably will unlock no more achievements in her life for herself, and each day she walks this earth is a day of joy to her parents and neighbors. What would it cost to grant a wish to her... and her classmates, and their parents, and any other kid laying in bed struggling for the breath to continue.
SwissArmyD at April 18, 2015 1:11 PM
My homecoming date had cystic fibrosis. It's not a nice disease. He died at 25. Seems silly to the extreme not to let her walk with her class.
Astra at April 18, 2015 1:28 PM
Too bad she's ill, but the lesson that life is unfair is a good takeaway at any age.
You think she hasn't already learned that lesson far more than you or I?
Hell, if i was in her class I'd be happy to lead a protest for her, or work out an alternative if the district and the principal were unbending.
Kevin at April 18, 2015 4:19 PM
I walked an entire year before I graduated, from college. I was 6 credits shy. I walked in May with my class, interned until the next Jan, then took a full load that semester and graduated with extra credits. I did not walk when I really graduated. SO for the love of god YES let her walk. Let her walk even if she never intends to finish the last damn class. She's DYING. Dying people get special considerations. Or they should, at least, when it hurts no one to do so. I've just emailed that bitch of a principal. Thank you for her email address.
momof4 at April 18, 2015 5:27 PM
Keep in mind that, with this example, the parents of the kid smoking pot by the dumpster will sue for discrimination.
Richard Aubrey at April 18, 2015 5:49 PM
Keep in mind that, with this example, the parents of the kid smoking pot by the dumpster will sue for discrimination.
Yes, let's let what might happen next cloud the immediate issue. And Iran might bomb us tomorrow, so let's spend all our money now. (My example is no more ludicrous then yours!!)
DrCos at April 19, 2015 5:55 AM
Whatever happened to common sense? Is it that we're now more connected so I hear more stupidity, or is simple logic truly diminishing?
Annie at April 19, 2015 10:30 AM
For what it's worth, I think that this kid has accomplished more than a lot of her classmates by getting to within just 1 class of graduation in spite of her illness. The principal missed a great opportunity for a fluff piece on the local news about how wonderful her school has been in working with the girl to help her achieve her goals.
I hope her friends protest, I hope her teachers stand up for her. I hope others in the community point out to this principal that she really screwed the pooch on this.
Kat at April 19, 2015 9:02 PM
Well, on the bagging side, I teach a a High School in Reno Nevada and we regularly have 5 or 6 people walk gradation, that will complete the requirements afterwards. Incentive to complete it is
Piper at April 20, 2015 9:55 AM
I don't think it's unusual at all to let kids walk who still have a class to complete in summer school, or a standardized test to complete, or who really went to the "alternative" versus the "regular" high school. This is just the administration digging in their heels because they can.
ahw at April 20, 2015 2:01 PM
Hey,
I am Victoria's mom. Thank you for allowing people to post their views.
During this dispute, Victoria ended up in the hospital again. She was put in the ICU and then transferred to another facility for better care due to complications.
On her last day before discharge, the principal called to let us know she would be allowed to walk. Victoria has a 504 plan which is a document that is drafted for people with disabilities that impair their daily living. For the school to not allow her to walk but allow other disabled (intellectually) students to walk, was discriminatory. The office of Civil Rights has currently taken the case and is investigating two allegations. Discrimination and Retaliation. Being absent due to frequent hospital stays was part of her disability and the school was expected by law to accommodate. The reason they did is because of this law. The school board had no idea what was going on until it hit the news. They essentially do not care and never find out who walks the stage on what conditions. This was all a BIG MISTAKE of a principal who was a little intoxicated with power, arrogance and who is elitist and inflexible. We had been trying to resolve this issue since January 2015. The principal denied to meet with me upon my phone request on two separate occasions. Thank you for your assistance in helping spread awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and how invisible it can look. It is a brutal disease.
grace at May 8, 2015 7:55 AM
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