School Under Fire After Kids Quit Before Graduation
MATCH School Says They Will Keep High Standards
POSTED: 2:00 pm EDT May 27,
2008
UPDATED: 6:21 pm EDT May 27,
2008
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BOSTON -- Just weeks before graduation, students are leaving one of the most prestigious city charter schools claiming there is not enough academic support.
School Under Fire NewsCenter 5's Bianca De La Garza reported that the MATCH School gained national attention for test scores and ranking among other public high schools. But now, school officials are on the defensive."Kids get 10 hours tutoring. If they need more, they two additional hours a day," said MATCH Executive Director Alan Safran.But 14 students left the charter public school for Boston public schools since last year, including two students who left last week -- just 12 days before graduation.Some of the former students were going to be held back even though they had been accepted to college, so they are getting their diplomas at public schools.MATCH, which stands for Media and Technology Charter High, grabbed national headlines by earning the 99th spot in a U.S. News and World Report review of more than 18,000 public high schools. Boston Latin ranked 19th.The school uses a lottery system to fill the 70 ninth-grade slots from the more than 600 students who apply. Students are required to pass college and AP courses before they graduate.Safran said the tough standards will stay, even if students don't."Kids are transferring to other schools where is takes a little less to graduate. That's the story, and the story is about standards," he said.The two students who left last MATCH week to attend public school have returned to the school. The Boston public school system urged MATCH to help the students fulfill their graduation requirements.
School Under Fire NewsCenter 5's Bianca De La Garza reported that the MATCH School gained national attention for test scores and ranking among other public high schools. But now, school officials are on the defensive."Kids get 10 hours tutoring. If they need more, they two additional hours a day," said MATCH Executive Director Alan Safran.But 14 students left the charter public school for Boston public schools since last year, including two students who left last week -- just 12 days before graduation.Some of the former students were going to be held back even though they had been accepted to college, so they are getting their diplomas at public schools.MATCH, which stands for Media and Technology Charter High, grabbed national headlines by earning the 99th spot in a U.S. News and World Report review of more than 18,000 public high schools. Boston Latin ranked 19th.The school uses a lottery system to fill the 70 ninth-grade slots from the more than 600 students who apply. Students are required to pass college and AP courses before they graduate.Safran said the tough standards will stay, even if students don't."Kids are transferring to other schools where is takes a little less to graduate. That's the story, and the story is about standards," he said.The two students who left last MATCH week to attend public school have returned to the school. The Boston public school system urged MATCH to help the students fulfill their graduation requirements.Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
