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> After all, I’d flunked my way through elementary, middle, and high school math and science. I have to question the veracity of this sentence. How could they

> After all, I’d flunked my way through elementary, middle, and high school math and science. I have to question the veracity of this sentence. How could they possible keep progressing to the next grade if they keep failing math and science? I'm sure it is hyperbole but this doesn't seem like a great way to start off an article like this.

the_sleaze9 2y ago
D's get degrees
- wuliwong 2y ago
  In my parlance a D is not flunking though. Flunking means you don't get credit for the class. But maybe not where she is from?
aegypti 2y ago
It isn’t hyperbole. You can fail math all year long, but achieve the bare minimum in the subject during your annual standardized test and pass to the next grade. Course credits/grades do not ~~affect~~ limit? progression in many/most? US school districts before high school.
- wuliwong 2y ago
  Was that the case in the 1960s/1970s because that was when the author was in elementary through high school? I graduated high school in 1995 and what you are describing was not the case at my school nor any other school that I knew of at that time.
- dragonwriter 2y ago
  I know of districts using some degree of social promotion, but I’ve never heard of one promoting on performance but using standardized tests alone instead of class grades or clearing a certain bar for both grades and standardized test as the performance criteria.
  - aegypti 2y ago
    Not social promotion, explicitly illegal in my state at least. School year F -> STAR test minimum + intervention or summer school D -> graduates
- wuliwong 2y ago
  >It isn’t hyperbole. At best you present a potential way that it might not be hyperbole.
dragonwriter 2y ago
Social promotion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion
- wuliwong 2y ago
  Obviously, we don't know the author's actual experience but you think that it is more likely that she failed math and science continuously from elementary school through to high school and just kept getting socially promoted OR it is more likely that the author employed a bit of hyperbole and maybe was just generally a poor student in math and science throughout her childhood?

the_sleaze9 2y ago

D's get degrees

wuliwong 2y ago
In my parlance a D is not flunking though. Flunking means you don't get credit for the class. But maybe not where she is from?

aegypti 2y ago

It isn’t hyperbole. You can fail math all year long, but achieve the bare minimum in the subject during your annual standardized test and pass to the next grade. Course credits/grades do not ~~affect~~ limit? progression in many/most? US school districts before high school.

wuliwong 2y ago
Was that the case in the 1960s/1970s because that was when the author was in elementary through high school? I graduated high school in 1995 and what you are describing was not the case at my school nor any other school that I knew of at that time.
dragonwriter 2y ago
I know of districts using some degree of social promotion, but I’ve never heard of one promoting on performance but using standardized tests alone instead of class grades or clearing a certain bar for both grades and standardized test as the performance criteria.
- aegypti 2y ago
  Not social promotion, explicitly illegal in my state at least. School year F -> STAR test minimum + intervention or summer school D -> graduates
wuliwong 2y ago
>It isn’t hyperbole. At best you present a potential way that it might not be hyperbole.

dragonwriter 2y ago

Social promotion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion

wuliwong 2y ago
Obviously, we don't know the author's actual experience but you think that it is more likely that she failed math and science continuously from elementary school through to high school and just kept getting socially promoted OR it is more likely that the author employed a bit of hyperbole and maybe was just generally a poor student in math and science throughout her childhood?