Just Asking
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Klein Wants To Negotiate on Grade Retention, But He is Not Disputing Special Education Lawsuits Against the DOE
Why wont Klein discuss illegal NYC DOE policies in denying special education children their services and resources, a city-wide phenomenon, yet wants to negotiate on social promotion? ![]()
KLEIN: SKIP ED. SUIT
By DAN MANGAN August 6, 2004 -- Faced with a possible lawsuit challenging the controversial end of "social promotion" of third-graders, schools Chancellor Joel Klein yesterday said he plans to talk with would-be lawyers for plaintiffs to "explain to them why we think" taking the city to court isn't a good idea for underachieving kids. "We will talk to them," said Klein, referring to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which has been trying to recruit plaintiffs for the suit from the nearly 9,000 third-graders at risk of being forced to repeat that grade this year due to low test scores. "They've made clear that they've made no decision" on filing suit, Klein noted, "so we intend to meet with them, talk with them, explain to them why we think this is not a meritorious idea." Klein's comments followed his speech at the New York Jets kickoff lunch where Klein strongly defended Mayor Bloomberg's policy of eliminating social promotion. In the past, most third-graders have been automatically passed into the next grade, even if they were performing poorly, in the interest of keeping them with students their own age. |