SHARON SCHOOLS 'No F' policy revised again

The latest version removes some of the punitive natureof the policy.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- Some Sharon City school directors say they aren't done yet with the fine tuning of a "No F" policy that could bar pupils with failing grades from participating in interscholastic and nongraded co-curricular activities.
The proposal has undergone a number of revisions since it was introduced earlier this year by school director Richard Mancino and has twice come up for the first of two required readings by the school board.
The latest was at Monday's board meeting, where a version revised by middle and secondary school administrators got its first reading.
"It's going to change again," predicted school director Dom Russo, after the meeting.
Mancino said he wants to know who gave the administrators the authority to change it last week, noting that the plan as outlined by Robert Alcaro, high school principal, at Wednesday's workshop carried substantial changes from the one proposed by Superintendent Richard Rossi and brought up for first reading in July.
Supports ban: Mancino said that he supports the revised policy as a step in the right direction but that he is "totally against" letting pupils continue to participate in interscholastic or nongraded co-curricular activities such as school clubs and plays.
Band and chorus would be excluded because they are graded.
School director Kathy Hall agreed with Mancino, suggesting the board needs to take yet another look at the policy.
The plan, as originally presented by Mancino, would bar any pupil with a failing grade from participating in sports or other school activities such as clubs or school plays until that failing grade is raised to at least a D.
Rossi presented a revised plan in July that expanded the ban to all school-related functions, including school dances and athletic events, so that all pupils would be affected equally.
The superintendent's plan also included a tutorial phase designed to help failing pupils raise their grades.
Revision: In the version presented by Alcaro and brought up for first reading Monday, the banning from social events and athletic games was dropped as being unenforceable.
Further, getting a failing grade would no longer mean a suspension from any activity, provided that the pupil in question attended the tutorial sessions (four times a week for middle school and three times a week for high school students) and makes an effort to improve his or her grade.
"I don't know who changed it or why they changed it," Mancino said, adding that he isn't backing down from his proposal to ban failing pupils from participating in interscholastic sports and nongraded co-curricular activities.
gwin@vindy.com