NBC Bay Area: San Jose special ed student's diploma blocks future services

A Leigh High School student who is hard of hearing says he’s reading at a second or third grade level but was issued a diploma anyway. That diploma, he says, resulted in the Santa Clara County Office of Education denying him post-secondary vocational services his family believes he needs to succeed.

Comments (2)

C L Dec 04, 2024 at 1:53PM

Ok. So, this happens ALL over Santa Clara County and the state of CA, and it’s not just special needs students. First, I hope this young man and his family get the care they deserve and support they need because it’s hard out here for the vulnerable. They are always falling through the cracks in the ed system out here and it’s intentional. This young man like many english language learners are failed by the system. So many students are promoted to next grade levels or graduated from school illiterate or not reading anywhere near a high-school level. The question then becomes: why does the system move them on if they didn’t meet the standards? Why graduate kids from 12th grade who can’t read and/or write on more than a 3rd grade level? Back in the day, they would hold students back a grade or two, even if they graduated older – and provide specialized support.

This young mans situation along with the many ELL students in districts like Alum Rock are set up for failure and teachers/admins keep advancing kids out of school unprepared.

This reminds me of an article recently from an opinion columnist who somehow blamed Trump for all the “inequities” in CA that are in fact exacerbated here locally, and have nothing to do with him. There are so many better ways we can support our children through school that doesn’t involve giving them a diploma they aren’t prepared for and saying basically “good luck, you aren’t our problem anymore.”

Roman Galarza II Dec 05, 2024 at 12:30PM

I feel for this young man. I do hope he gets what he needs and the elevation of his story can be the first step. I’ve seen him show up to countless county board meetings only to be ignored by Dr. Dewan and her band of witches. I don’t know what her role is, but some acknowledgement of his pain and the steps he and his family are taking to advocate would be nice madam. Just another example of how out of touch she is with the community.
The bigger problem I see is our myopic focus on inclusion at the expense of real solutions. This young man needed a path forward with services that resulted in a career that he could engage in despite having this disability. A place where he could be of service and value, and make a real difference while having purpose and continuing to build his skills. Yet, the system gave him some stupid academic goals, passed him along, and gave him a useless diploma and then patted him on the back because they practiced “inclusion”. Where did that leave him? This is nonsense. When the Republicans talk about California’s woke nonsense, this is what they are talking about. We lack a practical approach to students like this young man and we fail him. I’m sorry young sir – we should have done better by you and your family. Hopefully educators across this state will wake up!

NBC Bay Area: San Jose special ed student’s diploma blocks future services

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