All Children Deserve The Right To Earn A High School Diploma

A little over two years ago it was brought to my attention that in the year 2012 the only diploma that would be available to my child, who would graduate in 2014, would be a regents diploma or an advanced regents diploma.

My initial thought was for my own child.  Then I thought of my neighbors child, and the other children that go school with my child and then the other children that live in New York State.  Many parents, like myself,  have chosen to live in New York and put up with the high taxes and congestion so that our children could get the most appropriate education that they can in order to be competitive and successful in what we now call the global economy.

Thinking of my own child first, what would be the possibility that he very well could go through 13 years of education, meeting all of the course requirements, passing all of his tests, doing fairly well on ACT’s and SAT’s and not passing the New York State Regents, and then not graduating with a Diploma?  And what is to become of my neighbors child, who stayed in school because their child loved to play soccer?  To play he had to at least pass all his classes but he would not be able to graduate with a diploma because he couldn’t pass the Regents?  Now, two children doomed to failure.  And what of the other children in his class?  How many others are just squeaking by, struggling and hanging in there, because eventually they will graduate with a local diploma?  How many more children will not be  able to graduate with a diploma?    

As an advocate for Special Education students and their families, it is frightening to think of how many Special Education children would be and will be affected by the complete removal of the ability to obtain a Local Diploma.  Does that  mean that the Aspergers child  that is brilliant but cannot pass the Regents to gain a diploma, should be denied the opportunity to go on to college or an  institution of higher learning?   Oh, yes, we all know what an IEP  Diploma is and it’s value.  Many children might consider dropping out of school all together and just go get a GED.  At least with a GED the child will be employable.  The child would be able to go on to an institution of higher learning and become a contributing member of  society.   As I write this, statistics show 1 in every 115 children  is born on the Autism Spectrum.   Does this mean an entire generation might be doomed to the possibility that they may not earn a High School Diploma?

As parents, we tell our children,  stay in school.  Study hard.  Do the best you can. Get an education. How can we encourage our children to stay in school, do the best they can, and then there is no Diploma for them.  The world our children are living in is competitive.  As parents we have an obligation to see that our children work hard in school and become contributing members of society.  If our children do not have Diplomas that can provide them opportunities to be successful, contributing members of society then what is to become of them?   What is to become of the inner city child, with little  opportunities but the hope that a Diploma can bring to them and the opportunities that can open the world to them which would otherwise be lost to them?

It is imperative that every child have the opportunity to earn a Local Diploma or a Regents Diploma.  We all want higher standards in our children's education.  Through out their education there are benchmarks, there are State tests and requirements that must be met in order to move on to the next grade level.  Most of our children achieve all of the benchmarks and course requirements and move on to the next grade level finally reaching the culmination of their hard work and graduating with a Diploma.  But, that is most of our children.  I am concerned and frightened for that child that will not be able to pass the Regents.  How can a child meet all their benchmarks and be moved on year after year and then not earn a Diploma because they couldn’t pass the Regents?    All children  deserve the opportunity to earn a Diploma,  not just a Regents diploma. While a Regents Diploma is quite a distinction,  New York State is the only state in the country that requires the passing of Regents in order to graduate from high school.  Colleges and institutions of higher learning are not looking nor are they interested in the Regents scores.  They want to know if you graduated with a Diploma and that the student met all of the course requirements.  We want all of our children to have to opportunity to graduate with a Diploma not just a Regents Diploma.

Sincerely,
Denise McMahon

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