LOS ANGELES – A year-old policy telling 3,700 high school seniors that completing all their required courses doesn't earn them the right to wear a cap and gown on graduation day has created an outcry among students, parents and civil-rights activists here after coming to light this week.
To attend the ceremonies, the students in District C of the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District also have to submit a plan to school officials for post-secondary education, training or service.
Yesterday, school officials backed away – sort of – from that stance after fielding calls from parents and the media around the nation seeking clarification.
"It was supposed to get everyone's attention on the campuses," one district official said ruefully. "We didn't know it was going to get everyone's attention in the world."
The architect of the policy – District C Superintendent Robert Collins – said it "basically says to our community that we hold very high expectations of our graduates."
Enrolling in universities, community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships or the military satisfy the policy.
Students who state they want to get a job or start a family are asked to develop more specific educational plans related to their interests.
Linking the plans with being able to take part in graduation ceremonies "gets everyone's attention," Collins said. But he conceded that he might have to "change that around a little bit" after the outcry.
Many students in the eight high schools and six continuation schools affected give the policy a thumbs-down.
Ingrid Perez, a senior at Van Nuys High School, said it's none of the school district's business what seniors do after they graduate.
Some of her friends are signing up for college to appease administrators and take part in graduation ceremonies, she said.
On the other hand, the policy led Birmingham High School senior Juan Martinez to enroll in a community college. "I didn't think about it before," said Martinez, who's awaiting approval for a financial aid package.
But criticism was sharp from Norma Vega of the Mexican American Legal Defense Foundation, who said the policy seems to discriminate against students whose families don't have enough money to send their kids to college or vocational school, and need them to contribute financially to the household.
Those issues – along with high dropout rates – are of particular concern among Latinos, she noted. Fifty-eight percent of the student population of District C is Hispanic.
"The job of the school isn't to impose things that are going to hurt people," Vega added. MALDEF is looking into potential legal action against the school district over the policy.
Collins said the policy pressures school counselors to listen to students' needs and help them develop career plans. Students who don't want to participate in the planning can get waivers if their parents support them.
Those who want to find jobs will wind up with better job training and higher wages through the planning process, he insisted.
