Underachievers

First period Earth science. They had a review to work on. Their test was the next day.

"Did you go to promotion last year?"

"No. Did you?"

"No. They 'requested' that I not attend the last three weeks of school."

Me: "Were you suspended?" (He was.)

Earth science is the science class they put all the ninth graders who got Ds or Fs in eighth grade science in. So, hearing several did not "promote" was unsurprising.

Promotion is "eighth grade graduation". But due to social promotion and parental pressure, these eighth graders start ninth grade the next year with their peers. They'll get their act together in high school, or they'll end up at the continuation high school.

So, knowing all this, I was expecting a crazy class. Actually, they were pretty calm. I'm sure the fact this was first thing in the morning may have been a contributing factor.

A group of them were clearly not working, so when at the end of the period one boy passed another a paper, I went to investigate. (I was worried one was going to copy.)

The paper was blank. False alarm.

But they knew what I was looking for.

A girl explained that she always used to give her homework to some boy not in that class. And, she said, he never gave it back. I suppose that did not help her grade.

This got one of the boys to thinking.

"I should date a nerd." He knew just how he'd play it, "'Babe, can you do my homework?'"

I hope the girls on this campus have better taste. Sadly, I can't be sure they do.

Did you ever do someone else's homework for them? Did you attend your eighth grade (or comparable level) promotion?

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