Peoria is a city near Phoenix. Actually, it used to be a separate city, but has now been consumed by the urban sprawl of Phoenix. But for me, Peoria is a symbol of the fight to force education to become a consumer product. In May, the Peoria Unified School district awarded a diploma to a high school student under threat of litigation.

Basically, a girl failed her necessary English class. The parents' lawyer threatened the teacher with litigation unless the teacher allow the student to retake a test. The teacher refused. Mere hours before the graduation ceremonies, the district forced the teacher to give the exam to the student, who passed the test on the second try, of course. (Multiple choice, she'd already seen the questions.)

So, here we have it. An education is something to be bought or cajoled or forcibly taken, not to be earned. The Peoria Unified School District in Peoria, Arizona has just made my job harder.

Here is a link to the Arizona Republic's coverage of the situation. This coverage includes both the lawyer's letter and the teacher's response.

Discuss Outrage in Peoria