January 13, 2017      11:12 AM

Little outrage over proposal to extend individual graduation committees

“We’re trying to make sure we’re not holding a single student back who should not be held back,” Sen. Seliger said

A proposal to extend individual graduation committees – an effort to graduate students who are unable to pass high school STAAR assessments – was met with silence this week from the measure’s traditional opponents.

Bill Hammond’s retirement from the Texas Association of Business at the end of the year was felt as nary a word was offered in protest of continuing the exception. To some in the education community, Hammond is best known for his unconventional use of billboards to shame school districts and colleges for failing to meet higher graduation rates.

During a new conference, Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said only 2 percent, or about 6,000 seniors, needed an individual graduation committee. Nor did the assignment to a committee guarantee the student would walk at graduation. To pick up credit for failed exams, students had to complete additional coursework that demonstrated course mastery.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright January 13, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved