No, "demples," students who do not pass TAKS, therby not graduating, should NOT walk across a stage with those who have met the standard.

The days of "everyone's a winner" are over, and frankly, those parental overdoses of love and fear of offspring failures are what got us where we are: a nation of whiners and complainers who want something for nothing.

Should colleges allow dropouts or failures to walk across a stage? What about the wash-outs at Officer Candidate School at Ft Benning? Should they get their gold bars anyway? I know, let's fast forward to January 20th, and let BOTH candidates for President get sworn in, just so as not to hurt anyone's feelings at LOSING an election.

Seniors in DISD who fail TAKS their JUNIOR year are told --in no uncertain terms-- to get a grip and pass the test! They are told to study over the summer. They can retest in July, but most actually choose NOT to come! They are GIVEN--FREE--GRATIS-- any and all help they need to meet the MINIMUM standard we call TAKS.

I watched at my high school this year as some seniors busted their butts to pass, and they did pass. Others blew off tutoring. That really pissed off the teacher who VOLUNTEERED to help them at ADDITIONAL cost to herself. (She had to pay extra for a caregiver for her ill mother.)

You called it "walking across a stage." That is not what it is at all. It is called "Commencement" or "Graduation." It has MEANING. It has a purpose. In fact, why should kids who worked hard, did the right thing and met the standard even have to wonder if the kid next to them also met the standard? Wouldn't that make the whole thing a farce? I mean, would you spend money to watch kids merely dress up in a gown and PRETEND to graduate?

Get real. You want to mobilize parents? Great! Get them to tutor the failing juniors all summer so they can pass the July or October or December or February or April tests! (That's right, folks, they get FIVE more chances.)