Letters

To the Editor:

Regarding your front-page article "More Chicago Pupils Flunk Grade," (Oct. 9, 2002): I began my teaching career working with incarcerated juveniles. These misguided boys could hardly write a complete sentence. One day, we were studying a "My Turn" column in Newsweek magazine about social promotion. The writer talked about how the policy had been unsuccessful, allowing teachers to "pass along" students who were discipline problems without making sure they had the necessary skills to succeed in the following grade. One of my students said, "That's me. That is why I'm stupid."

I am in favor of curbing social promotion for the...