Starting the last week of summer school. These students who have finished 8th grade and should begin high school this fall (in one month) are way behind in age appropriate school behavior.

They talk back to the teacher, argue with simple directions, shout across the room, and seem to not understand that the teacher is in charge.

No wonder they have landed in their one last chance to be promoted to high school.

However, we can't afford to keep them in 8th grade- - -where would we find 50 (yes 50!) additional 8th grade slots when we have already paid for one entire 8th grade year for each of them and we have a lot of students coming up from 7th who are regularly scheduled into the 8th grade slots these students are supposed to be vacating. It would mean hiring 2 additional teachers. . .at great cost to the taxpayers. . .to accommodate students who are being held back primarily because they are comfortable yelling in school, telling the teachers to shut up, throwing objects in class, using curse words toward staff, etc.