I fully believe our son and all those like him who do struggle in a traditional class setting deserve the chance to stand alongside their peers on graduation day. He did not give up.

He chose instead to go through his 14th year of school, by going through the GED program offered by Port Byron Central School and Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. This wonderful and much-needed program allowed him the type of hands-on learning he needed. Here, he has excelled. He not only now has his GED, but skills learned through HERO (heavy equipment repair and operation) he can utilize his whole life.

Now the problem is that of the eight districts who participate in this program, only four allow their students to attend graduation alongside their peers. PBSC district is not one of those that does.

So I ask you: With our dropout rate being what it is in our PBSC District, wouldn't this be a good start in helping all students strive harder to stay in school? I think we can all agree we all learn at a different pace and in a different way.

Who among us has any right to say one way is better than another, so long as we don't give up? Why not let students have another option without feeling like they are less than anyone else?

Please let's stop turning our heads and looking the other way. Let's give these students a better way than simply giving up. Even though they learn in a different way, they should be able to participate. Why should they have to feel not good enough on graduation day? Please, let's not be too blind to see that if we as leaders don't give these kids the chance to toss that cap on that long-awaited day, with their friends and family, we just continue to beat them down.

I truly hope you give this much consideration. See you at the board meeting on June 21.

Tammy Cook Johnson Richardson

Port Byron