HAVERHILL, Mass.— At first, Demita Pendleton said she thought it was computer error.
At the end of the last school year, she received her son Damasae's report card — straight Fs. But the bottom of the Nettle Middle School report card had the words "promoted" to eighth grade on it.
"I called the school because I actually thought it was a computer error," said Pendleton, a single mother of five children, two of whom attend Haverhill schools. "Not one teacher had informed me that my son was failing not one class but all of them."
A year later — two weeks ago to be specific — with Damasae in the final days of eighth grade, Pendleton said she received a phone call from Nettle Principal Renata Bateman. Her now 14-year-old son was again failing most of his classes, but he was being "assigned" to high school anyway. And though the boy was being promoted to high school, Bateman told Pendleton her son would not be allowed to walk on stage or otherwise participate in a promotion ceremony at the school last Thursday.
Pendleton called Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan to complain that her child was not receiving a proper education, but instead was being pushed through the school system. She said Buchanan told her it is an "unwritten policy" in the district to "socially promote" students if the principal determines holding them back would not be in the student's best interest.
In an interview last week, Buchanan provided the same explanation. He said it is left up to principals whether to promote middle school students and which children will be allowed to participate in promotion ceremonies. He called the practice of letting principals alone make those decisions an unwritten policy that predates his administration by many years.
In high school, students are required to earn five credits for promotion to the next grade and 21 credits to graduate.
"That kid is about 6 foot five and 250 pounds," Buchanan said of Damasae. "He's a huge kid who doesn't belong in middle school. He looks like he could be driving to school."
Buchanan also said the teen is unmotivated.
"He's not a behavioral problem, but the principal determined holding him back won't help," the superintendent said. "The high school is alerted about incoming students who need extra help. A program is put on place to get them up to speed. Some of these kids end up doing fine, others drop out."
In a typical year, Buchanan said only a handful of students — three or four by his best estimate — are socially promoted to high school with failing grades.
Two years ago, the School Committee passed a policy that middle-schoolers who fail two or more core academic classes would have to attend and pass a summer school program before being promoted to the next grade. But the mandatory summer school program, which was initiated by Mayor James Fiorentini, is being eliminated due to budget problems, Buchanan said.
Despite Buchanan's assertion, School Committee members said there is no such thing as an unwritten policy — for promoting students or anything else.
"It's either a written policy passed by the School Committee, or it's not a policy," School Committee President Scott Wood said. "As far as I know, the committee has never endorsed social promotion. I certainly don't support it."
Committee member Kerry Fitzgerald said the board is developing new policies that will spell out academic standards for grade promotion and under what circumstances students at the earlier grades and in high school will be allowed to walk on stage for promotion and graduation exercises. She said there have been "a lot of issues" regarding both grade promotion and students not being allowed to walk at graduation this year.
"I'd like a policy or a practice where a struggling middle school kid is intercepted midway through the year with special services to get them up for promotion," she said. "I also don't like the idea of holding a kid back who is close to being promoted or graduating. But some committee members feel differently."
As for Pendleton's son, Fitzgerald said the School Committee interceded in the matter of the Nettle school principal who wouldn't allow the teen to walk at Thursday's promotion ceremony at the school.
"We told the superintendent we don't want any child who is being promoted to be kept from walking," she said.
Pendleton said she is happy her son was allowed to walk with his classmates Thursday. She said the mayor attended the ceremony for about 5 minutes, and asked the students how many were going on to Haverhill High School. She estimated only a quarter of the roughly 80 students raised their hands.
"My son is going to Lawrence High School's performing arts academy, where they also have job training classes," Pendleton said. "It's a shame, but I believe my son will get a better education in Lawrence."
Fiorentini, who also chairs the School Committee, said he does not support social promotion. He also said he was disappointed his summer school initiative was being eliminated.
"But I understand there's no money for it," he said.
Details in terror plot revealed
Red Sox players, fans react to the epic collapse
Buy Shonda Schilling's clothes for a good cause
Sox fans feeling let down again
