From http://nypost.com/2016/08/17/petition-wants-hs-principal-fired-for-pushing-academics/,

Petition wants HS principal fired for pushing academics

How dare she!

More than 3,500 students, teachers and parents have signed an online petition in just two days this week demanding the ouster of the principal of famed La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts because she — gasp! — has the audacity to stress academics in addition to performing talent.

“Since the 2013 arrival of Principal Dr. Lisa Mars, LaGuardia’s admission process has been radically altered in favor of academic scores and attendance records,” thechange.org petition charges.

“With these new admission criteria, talent counts for only 14% of the admission decision. As a result, hundreds of qualified and gifted students have been denied admission.”

Student talent had previously counted for well over 50 percent in the admissions process at the Upper West Side school, sources said.

More can be found at the above site. Most of the posts at eduhonesty are intended to convey a clear message, but I have to admit this article became a post because I am not sure what I think. My daughter and I share our ambivalence, although she leans more toward Dr. Mars approach than I do.

For years, I have been concerned about the lack of options for students whose talents may not lie in traditional academics. I am a huge fan of vocational/technical/career education, an area of education that lost ground under No Child Left Behind. I should note the issue above has not been fully captured in the opening paragraphs; supposedly, kids must pass the talent test to go on for further consideration.

Do we need another academic school? We have many academic charters and public schools. We have few schools dedicated to the arts. That said, where do these kids go if they do not have the talent to pursue a career in the arts — where few graduates will be able to make a comfortable living in today’s world — if they do not get adequate academic exposure? We should prepare America’s students to go to college if they make this choice later. After a decade of bartending while trying out for parts in shows, dance troupes, or orchestras, sometimes artists decide they are tired and want a regular paycheck.

But what about those kids who don’t hit academic targets, but nonetheless have talent and drive? Where are they to go? On the one hand, kids usually rise to meet our academic expectations — whether high or low. On the other hand, some kids will not be able to hit those higher academic targets. Should Dr. Mars deprive those kids their access to a program that might provide them with high school success?

Eduhonesty: I lean toward supporting the parents, students and teachers in this situation — provided we understand that those high schools that teach art, entrepreneurship, or engineering, for example, may or may not be preparing their students for a realistic future.

I suggest parents research these schools carefully. What happens to graduating students? How many succeed? How many become entrepreneurs? How many make it to college?

In this time of burgeoning charter choices, parents need to research their children’s schools. Charter schools and public schools with a focused mission may be excellent choices, but picking those schools requires care. Like picking that college major, the long-term consequences of school selection may follow a child for life.