Los Angeles County, CA November 2, 1999 Election
Smart Voter

Are the Trustees Helping or Hindering PCC Education?

By Bill Jennings

Candidate for Governing Board Member; Pasadena Area Community College District; Trustee Area 4

This information is provided by the candidate
PCC is currently comprised of 54% Vocational students and 46% Academic students. This ratio allows for grade inflation and the continued "dumbing down" of PCC.
Having watched grade inflation over several years now, I just felt that I needed to get more involved in our educational system. Seeing the Trustees pursing their agenda of furthering their vocational programs at the expense of the academic programs. The retention rate in vocational is notably higher than the academic rate. This has always been true.

I cannot ever remember a student receiving a failing grade in a vocational class. This must be where all the geniuses go.

If an academic instructor were to give a failing grade to a student they would probably be accused of damaging the students self-esteem.

An excellent academic instructor is penalized because they have not adhered to the Trustee's and Administration's desire to maintain a higher retention rate which is the source of PCC money. It is not a question of whether or not the students left the instructor's class with knowledge of the subject.

So what is the message being broadcast by Trustees and Administrators? Attend PCC you can't fail and will probably receive inflated grades.

Is this the type of College Pasadenian's want in their city?

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