Latest news with #JasonDean
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Let her walk': After public outcry, Cumberland exchange student walks at graduation
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — A Cumberland High School exchange student was allowed to walk at graduation Wednesday night following a last-minute reversal sparked by community backlash. Clara, a foreign exchange student from France, was blindsided and confused after school leaders pulled her aside after rehearsal wrapped Tuesday, telling her she would not be able to participate in the ceremony. According to Jason Dean, a Cumberland School Committee member, Clara's host family emailed the entire committee expressing that she was devastated and had never been told she couldn't walk. Not only was it never communicated to Clara or her host family, but the school allowed her to go through the full graduation preparation process—including paying dues, ordering a cap and gown, and submitting the proper pronunciation of her name. Dean clarified that Clara was not seeking a diploma, but simply wanted recognition for completing her senior year abroad. 'Since November, she had assumed she was going to be allowed to walk across the stage,' Dean explained. 'She never thought she was going to get a diploma.' While certain policies prevent students from walking if they do not meet graduation requirements, Dean said that wasn't the case here. 'The policy that the superintendent quoted didn't mention foreign exchange students or people that weren't matriculating for the diploma from other countries,' he said. This decision prompted swift backlash from parents and community members, who criticized the school for poor communication and a lack of transparency. Word spread quickly on social media, with several people saying Clara had been 'led on' and raising concerns about the 'fairness and inclusivity' of the district's policies. In response, two emergency meetings were called—the first an executive session behind closed doors, which Dean said he strongly opposed. 'Whatever can be done in the public eye, in the spirit of transparency, should be done in the public eye,' Dean said. 'Unfortunately, they didn't invite the student or the host parents to that meeting, so when we did go from executive to the public session, they weren't there to explain themselves.' In the interim, the superintendent reportedly said Clara's previous host family was notified in July 2024 that she wouldn't be able to walk. However, Dean said that was not clearly communication to her current host when she transferred. He said Clara was so confident she'd be participating that she moved her return flight to France ahead of the ceremony. On Wednesday morning, the principal issued a statement saying he stood by his decision, a position backed by the superintendent, leaving it up to the School Committee to make the final call. Ultimately, the committee voted 6-0 to let Clara walk, and after a stressful 48 hours, she crossed the stage Wednesday night alongside her classmates. 'It really was the political uproar that caused the special meeting,' Dean said, adding that the justification for the reversal was the short notice of the situation. Dean said that the committee plans to revisit the district's policy to prevent similar confusion in the future, such as students who may receive diplomas after summer school. NEXT: Warwick twins graduating high school as valedictorian and salutatorian Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
WP Intelligence Names Jason Dean Lead Analyst for AI and Technology Council
We're thrilled to announce that we've hired our latest lead analyst for WP Intelligence: Jason Dean. Jason, who will lead our AI and Tech vertical, is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience, most recently as global technology editor at The Wall Street Journal. At the Journal, Jason directed coverage of the tech industry and its people, products and power for nearly a decade, a period when its companies developed some of the world's most impactful innovations and gained unparalleled wealth and influence. Under his leadership, the Journal's tech bureau produced numerous investigative series and was recognized with multiple Loeb awards and other major journalism prizes. Jason regularly hosted events and WSJ Council gatherings, and we're excited to see him start writing for WP Intelligence and moderating our virtual briefings and Intelligence Council events very soon. Jason also has extensive experience covering Asia news. At the Journal, he was also a reporter in Beijing, then served as its correspondent in Taiwan. After returning to Beijing in 2005, he became China News Editor, helping run a team that won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting. As the anchor for our AI and Tech vertical, Jason will bring his decades of experience to our analysis offerings, and his sourcing and convening skills to the executive audience we are building for WP Intelligence. Jason starts June 9. He'll be getting right to work helping us build out our site for a launch later this summer. We already have a wait list for our WP Intelligence AI and Tech Council, and we plan to host events around the world, bringing world class expertise to decision makers who want a closer relationship with The Washington Post. If you want to learn more about our WP Intelligence product, please visit our marketing page.
