Back to the vet!

[katepoet]

That is an amazing paper, Judy.

In the city of Richmond, so many students are passing middle school unable to write that I am not surprised you got this level of work. It's shows what my students last year will be doing 10 years from now - nothing that contributes to a job or an education. Yet they are passed up through the grades.

One of my students in college now is content with C's in classes she struggles with - instead of using that to spur her to work harder. We have failed to teach kids with handicaps, be they physical or financial, how to overcome and care about the outcome. Kids with all the advantages seem to be able to coast a lot.

I don't mean to be cynical. There are a lot of strong families who support excellence in their children, a lot of young adults who are doing remarkable things that I could never hope to accomplish. I am just stunned by the number who are failing at it all. What cost will we pay as a society for this failure? What damage will their children bring to the public schools to handle?

I can understand your asking your advanced student to bring in some evidence of the quality of the work. Students can pay for anything today and do so without any sense of shame. I like your idea of how to substantiate the skill level. Hope it works. Keep us posted on these trials and tribulations of your work.