By Darrell Halen
Staff Writer

Members of the Pelham School Board plan to hear from teachers to see if they favor returning D’s to Pelham High School’s grading system, what should constitute a D and how soon the change should be made if D’s are brought back.

Board members want the information before deciding whether to return to a traditional grading system at the school.

During the board’s Sept. 13 meeting, members Linda Mahoney and Bruce Couture advocated again for returning D’s to the grading system, a letter that has been missing from report cards since it was dropped 12 years ago.

Currently, students fail if they earn below a 70.

“This would definitely give hope to those kids who are struggling,” Mahoney said. “I’m very concerned and I’m working for all the students. I want to see us give hope to the kids who are struggling and not put success out of their reach.”

In addition to providing hope, Mahoney said the change would ease the burden on over-enrolled and nearly full classes that include students retaking them.

And she said she believes it might lower the school’s dropout rate.

“If you’ve got a kid who is struggling and believes there’s no way they’re going to achieve that 70, they are going to give up,” Mahoney said.

Mahoney said advocates of returning D’s are not asking teachers to change the way they grade. She noted that many other schools, including Alvirne High School and Salem High School, where Pelham students take classes, give out D’s.

And D’s are part of the grading system for Pelham students in grades 5 through 8, she said.

“It’s unfair and it’s unnecessary for us to expect every single one of our students to be a 70 or above in every single course they take,” Mahoney said.

Bruce Couture said the school’s curriculum has improved since 1994, when D’s were dropped. Bringing back the D’s, he said, is not “dumbing down” the school.

He said the change would probably affect only a small percentage of students.

“I think the ones that don’t care, their parents don’t care, they’re probably not going to make it,” he said. “I hate to be so cruel, but that’s probably the facts. It’s happened since Fred Flintstone was around. It’s just the way it is. But the D presents hope to those who are close (to passing).”

Couture said two of his children, both graduates of Pelham High School, told him bringing back D’s would not help students who don’t care but those who are close to passing.

Two residents also spoke in favor of returning D's, including Cheryl Fendelander, who presented a petition signed by voters, parents and students calling on the school board to make the change.

“It would be fair for us to go with a system like the surrounding schools,” Lorraine Dube said.

Two young women, a current student and a Pelham High graduate, encouraged the school board to reject the effort to return the Ds.

“I think it’s very obvious if we brought back the D, less kids would fail because we’re altering a system by which we measure failing,” said Hannah Tello, who graduated from PHS two years ago. “I don’t think it’s inappropriate to ask that all students maintain an average grasp of the knowledge they’re taught in class.”

Michelle Burke, the school’s student representative to the school board, said all of the 17 students who attended a recent student government meeting don’t want the D returned.

School board Chairman Mike Conrad said he wasn’t totally opposed to the idea of reinstituting D's. If the D were to return, the range should be 65 to 69, he said.

Conrad said he wanted to see some data.

“I say wait a year,” he said. “Let this be researched. Find out what the D should be. I don’t agree the D should be from 60 to 69.”

Conrad said he was concerned that a student who passes a math course with a grade of 61 is “set up for failure” when he goes to the next math level.

“It’s not an appropriate time to change it,” member Eleanor Burton said, later adding: “More study needs to be done on it.”