Bad grades are costing some NC teens their driver's licenses

[up2trouble]

https://www.wral.com/bad-grades-are-...+CNN+-+U.S.%29

LOUISBURG, N.C. ' A state law that ties driving privileges to school grades is hitting home for hundreds of North Carolina teens who weren't even born when it was passed nearly 25 years ago.

To encourage students to complete high school, the law requires that a driving permit or license be revoked for anybody under age 18 if he or she drops out or is unable to maintain adequate progress, which is defined as passing 70 percent of all courses.

Landon Brewer, 16, had an April 6 appointment to get his driver's license, but that is now off. His mother, Amanda Brewer, said she recently got a letter from the principal of Louisburg High School, saying that his driving permit will be suspended because he is failing classes.

"If his grades are not passing come June," Amanda Brewer said, "they would not revisit this again until January."

The state Department of Transportation said that 858 teens had their driving privileges suspended under the law in the last year.

"It's just not right. It's not fair to any child, not during this time," Amanda Brewer said.

She said online classes during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to her son's poor grades.

"I think that should be a parent's right. I think we should make that call whether he drives or not," Amanda Brewer said.

Her son agrees.

"I don't think the school should have anything to do with this," Landon Brewer said.

He said he needs to drive because he serves as a volunteer firefighter with the White Level Fire Department in Franklin County. Without a car, he cannot respond to calls, he said.

"I just want to go work and do stuff," he said. "I can't do none of that. I don't have a ride."

A state Department of Public Instruction spokesman said the agency is talking with lawmakers about possible changes to the law. Until then, he said, DPI is advising school systems to be as lenient as possible when carrying out the law.

[Nic B]

I agree it should be a parent's choice. But I definitely side-eye a parent who will allow their child to get a driver's license when they are failing classes. If my child were failing any class, he would def not be rewarded like that.

[puzzld]

I agree it should be a parent's choice. But I definitely side-eye a parent who will allow their child to get a driver's license when they are failing classes. If my child were failing any class, he would def not be rewarded like that.

Yes. That's a toughie. This whole remote school has been so hard on some students. My friends grand daughter is thriving academically in this situation... but she was a good student to start with, has a strong support system, Dad available to help her all the time due to the fact that he's disabled and can't work, grandma is a librarian and can hook her up with any needed resources, and the work is easy for her. Now socially is a whole different story, some kids really miss the classroom and hallway interaction. Kids that don't have good support at home? It's a train wreck. But like Nic, I don't know that I'd let my kid be doing extracurriculars if they weren't passing their classes in normal times.

[Nic B]

Yes. That's a toughie. This whole remote school has been so hard on some students. My friends grand daughter is thriving academically in this situation... but she was a good student to start with, has a strong support system, Dad available to help her all the time due to the fact that he's disabled and can't work, grandma is a librarian and can hook her up with any needed resources, and the work is easy for her. Now socially is a whole different story, some kids really miss the classroom and hallway interaction. Kids that don't have good support at home? It's a train wreck. But like Nic, I don't know that I'd let my kid be doing extracurriculars if they weren't passing their classes in normal times.

Yep! I lucked out with my kid, he is taking honors classes and getting A+ or A's in all classes so he has a GPA of 4.33 (he always got good grades to begin with, but this last year he's done even better, raising A's to A pluses). He really wants to go back to school, for the social aspect. He misses his friends, and I totally get that.

Because of his good grades, he got his license and we helped toward the purchase of his truck, though he did contribute with some of the money he saved (I just feel that's important so he will want to take care of his truck).