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PRESS RELEASE:
No Pass, No Play Law Has Very
Adverse Effect On Many Students!

Advertisements on this page are not necessarily endorsed by Dr. Victoria Martin

Dr. Victoria Martin, a Child Psychiatrist in Richardson, TX. is becoming increasingly concerned about the “no pass, no play” law and the effect it is having on our children.

 “I am sure that this law was passed with the best of intentions but it is time to acknowledge it’s complete failure”.  “According to many educators I have spoken with, there have been very few, if any, children who have truly benefited from this unjust rule”. “Many students I see as patients have definitely suffered because of it”.  “It could be better titled the “no pass, no live” law for many children”.  Dr. Martin feels strongly that if weighed in the balance, this rule does far more damage than good.  It is a means by which children who are already feeling like failures are made to feel even more so.  It takes away from many of them their only source of achievement and self-esteem.  This will only lead to increasing anger, frustration and hopelessness”. 

Dr. Martin continued by saying: “Instead of beating these children down even more, we should be encouraging them to participate in activities where they have talents and abilities.  We are punishing the “good” kids, the ones who care about their school and want to participate in school activities instead of being involved in gangs and other destructive groups.” 

Dr. Martin believes that most of the kids affected by this “no pass, no play” rule, are those with learning disabilities of some kind.  The ones without those disabilities have no problem negotiating academic requirements with the demands of their extra-curricular activities.  By their success in the band, choir, dramatic productions, and athletics at least some of these learning challenged sudents will gain enough confidence to believe they can achieve in academics as well. Even if they fail academically or drop out of school, we will have given them the hope that they are good at something.  And, believe it or not, people do make a living in music, art, athletics and using many skills that we call "extra-curricular." 

We don't tell a child that if he is poor in math he won't be allowed to go to English class or that if he is poor in art he won’t be allowed to learn science.  The message we are sending is that "what you are good at isn't important or valuable."  We take kids who are already struggling with fitting into this world and who are already very aware of their inadequacies in academic subjects (and doing the best they can) and just to make sure they know what “losers” they are, we deny them their only pleasure in life, the only way they do gain some sense of achievement.  It’s no wonder that kids are taking guns to school!

We also punish the hard working coaches, band leaders, choir directors and others who have worked all summer putting together their programs only to have some of their best participants knocked out at the crucial moment when they need them the most.  There is no mercy for anyone!

The argument is that the children with learning disabilities can have an ARD meeting and get an IEP (Individual Education Plan).  While this is being done the football season/marching band season, etc. is over.  And what is accomplished is that we now have a child who “cannot fail.”  This child now knows that he will receive whatever “accommodations” he needs to pass all subjects.  He doesn’t really have to try at all anymore.  We “punish” him by labeling him “special education” thus putting him in more of a double bind.  This further adds to his sense of failure and inadequacy.  But wait!  We thought this law was passed to encourage children to work harder at their academics?  It was designed to prevent them being passed without really achieving!  Well, we have circumvented the very reason for the “no pass, no play” law and manage to destroy self-esteem in the process.  The law has failed in it’s objective. 

What about kids who don’t have parents who know to get them an IEP?  Or who refuse?  What about those kids?  They just continue to suffer, get into drugs or gangs or suicide.  Was this the intent of the Legislature when it passed this absurd law?  There were certainly some “good intentions” when this law was thought up. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions, as we all know.  Dr. Victoria Martin is convinced this is one of the bricks on that road.

There are other and better ways to ensure that our students learn what they should to pass in school.  Many of those are already in place such as periodic testing to ensure the quality of education and mandatory testing for everyone prior to graduation.  Art, music and athletics should be treated as if they are as important as math, science and history because they are.  For some kids they are more important both in school and in life.   

Dr. Martin is encouraging everyone to help to reverse this destructive law and make life meaningful again for our students in public education!

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