Every once in a while a single sentence can convey such a great deal of common sense that it is worth a moment of silence before continuing to read on. Judge Freedman’s decision concerning the case of 5%, 20,000 students, of California’s 2006 senior class who did not pass exit exams and therefore failed to receive their diplomas is one example of this. Giving these young adults diplomas even though they didn’t demonstrate minimum competency in math and English language would only serve to teach them that they are not responsible for their own development and it doesn’t really matter what the requirements are when you can do less and still get by, and of course it also demonstrates to the 95% of their peers that what they worked for really isn’t that valuable at all.

Appeals court refuses diplomas for 20,000 who failed exit exam:

“A high school diploma is not an education, any more than a birth certificate is a baby.”