To Improve Schools, End Social Promotion

Re the Nov. 18 letter about the lack of success with school reform: A few years ago, there was a mandate by the state to end social promotion. It didn’t happen, and we are still plagued with the ramifications of placing youngsters into learning environments that they are unprepared for.

Placing ill-equipped and unmotivated youngsters into academic settings is like putting children with missing limbs who don’t particularly like the water on a swim team. And when things don’t work out, the coach is fingered for the lack of achievement. Reforms are nice, teacher training is good, but without ending social promotion, we are swimming upstream.

Jeff Goldberg

Social studies teacher

Huntington Park

High School, Inglewood