Sample chapters and excerpts

I have advocated throughout this book for helping students graduate. I believe schools should provide students reasonable opportunities to recover academically, overcome mistakes, and earn their diplomas.

But this situation felt different.

This particular student had missed a significant amount of school. To my knowledge, there were stretches when he was absent for weeks at a time. He had opportunities to participate in credit-recovery efforts but did not consistently take advantage of them.

When he was at school, I routinely saw him tardy to class, missing class altogether, or struggling to meet behavioral and academic expectations.

Yet there he stood, preparing to graduate.

I approached him intending both to congratulate him and satisfy my own curiosity.

"You must have made up a lot of work to get here today," I said.

His response stopped me.

"They told me I graduated."

They told you?

The statement stayed with me.