As a graduate of Boston Latin, I would say to that parent that the system she believes exists has existed for a long, long time. BLS, for example, wants the best of the best, which would be the straight A/A+ students. The next level of students A-/B gets into BLA - Boston Latin Academy. The O'Bryant, which is considered by many in the community as the "ghetto exam school" gets the remainder of the students.

The system isn't fair. However, parents with students who are getting Cs, Ds, & Fs, need to ask themselves- Why is your child getting those grades? How would expect your child to compete in an exam school setting? At BLS, I know the competition is very high. Students are trying to get into top- tier colleges and universities. They're in clubs, taking leadership roles, and going on overseas college experiences. I feel that a student in an exam school needs to have the right attitude to handle its rigors. Grades are only a part of the equation. To graduate from an exam school, you need to be up to the challenge. You can't go in with a poor attitude and expect to do - or survive.