This is a petition to urge VBCPS to waive all failing students for the 2020-2021 school year so that their academic career will not be stunted due to factors out of their control.

During the events of 2020-2021, many unprecedented changes have been made. 

Students and teachers are adjusting to a new digital learning environment, and this has resulted in an alarming increase of failing students around the country despite counter-efforts, making a statistic for over 50% of failure in many school regions. 

Students that signed up for this year’s classes before the pandemic did not anticipate the added difficulties, and many students can not drop their classes.

Some senior students fear for their graduation status, and others for the consequences of their colleges.

Outside of online school, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 577,000 people in America. Students have had to fight with family loss, self navigation of college applications, and the added task of keeping grades at a proper threshold in a new system so that they could move onto the next grade.

Additionally, mental health issues among students are on the rise this school year. Studies discovered that 1 in 5 of people who catch COVID-19 may develop a mental illness from the effects of the disease.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools has been contacted for a (pending) response on their plan for failing students and COVID-19 accommodations.

If many students are failing around the country consequently then it will be a result of their environment and said factors above. Stresses among all people during a pandemic are high, and we ask that VBCPS announces a plan to waive all failing students for the 2020-2021 school year so that their academic career will not be stunted for factors out of their control.

The signatures below are of students en masse that feel personally impacted and care for the well-being of the vulnerable student body at this time in history.

Please do not allow your students to fail.

Thank you for your time.