Trotwood student issues ‘plea for help,’ starts petition to relax workload amid COVID-19 constraints

TROTWOOD — A Trotwood High School senior is calling on the district to loosen graduation requirements amid the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going through a lot of pressure; a lot of anxiety,” Trotwood-Madison High School senior Ja’shanti Burns told News Center 7 Monday. “Certain students are working one or two jobs to support their family because of mass layoffs of the pandemic.” Burns said she and her classmates have found online learning – the reality for most of the past year – a struggle at times.

Burns said part of the problem stems from a required multi-faceted capstone project – which school leaders told WHIO Monday, is a significant part of students’ English course grade – a course that is a graduation requirement.

In an online petition entitled “Battle for our Future,” signed more than 600 times as of Monday evening, Burns argues, “Throughout the pandemic we have been doing online school. As we all know this change has been extremely difficult to adapt to.” Burns went on to say, “Please sign this petition to eliminate the capstone project for the graduating class of 2021,” “This is a plea for help.”

Trotwood-Madison Schools Superintendent Reva Cosby told WHIO Monday, “We realize every student is impacted in a different way by this pandemic and we want to be equitable in regards to how we assess our students.” Cosby went on to say the project in question already was modified due to COVID, and the district is currently working with students who did not complete the assignment, on an alternative assignment.

The district adding it is providing tutoring support at a ratio of one tutor per student for any students who need assistance.

As for Burns, she said her fight is one she is undertaking in hopes of supporting her classmates.

“We are doing this because we care about each other,” she said. “And we want to see each other succeed.”

Cox Media Group