Eighteen-year-old Jared DeWeese is severely disabled. He cannot walk, talk, read or write. Nevertheless, WSB-TV reports, he is receiving straight A’s in several courses, including algebra, biology and world history at a school in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Now, Jared’s father, Wes DeWeese, is publicly questioning exactly how such a feat is possible, given his son’s limited aptitude and cognitive skills.
“My wife and I were pretty astounded,” Wes DeWeese told WSB-TV. “Glad he’s getting 90s and 100s. But he can’t do any of these. He has the mental capacity of a six-month-old.”
As the Daily Mail reports, DeWeese suspects that the grading policy at his son’s school is a sham meant to improve the overall statistics of Gwinnett County schools.
“There’s no way Jared can do algebra,” he told the station. “My goal isn’t for him to do algebra. My goal is to have him walk. I would love to hear him say ‘mom’ or ‘dad.’ But I know that’s probably never going to happen.”
A spokesperson for Gwinnett County Schools, Sloan Roach, said that the district is merely following the Georgia Department of Education’s policies and regulations. Those regulations require schools to provide students with disabilities — no matter how severe — access to the same academic courses other students take.
“We take those courses you see other students taking and we adapt those courses,” Roach told WSB-TV.
Roach added that students with disabilities, such as Jared, are graded based on “participation” with the curriculum.
DeWeese said his Jared has received grades ranging between 90 and 100, according to WSB.
For privacy reasons, Roach was unable to offer any comment on Jared’s grades.