In the latest puzzling twist from the education realm in San Francisco, school officials have decided to momentarily press pause on a proposal, known as “Grading for Equity.” It’s a concept that seems to prioritize feelings over facts, allowing high school students to retake tests endlessly and essentially pass with dauntingly low scores of 21%. Even more eyebrow-raising is how students could also boost their grades simply by turning in permission slips or participating in activities like food drives. One must wonder what happened to good old-fashioned learning.
Critics, including a particularly sensible Democrat named Connor, have pointed out the glaring flaws in this plan. Allowing students to glide by with what amounts to an almighty wink and nod at genuine educational standards doesn’t help fulfill the American Dream. Rather, it undercuts the very fabric of what education should be—a place where students strive for excellence and personal growth. Parents seeking the best for their kids have every reason to ask, “When did we start serving dessert before dinner?”
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t a phenomenon limited to quirky San Francisco. Over 200 schools nationwide, including many right in California, have implemented similar policies. Yet, despite their starry-eyed intentions, these initiatives haven’t magically resolved existing disparities—they’ve arguably highlighted them further. It’s akin to applying a Band-Aid to a wound that needs a more serious intervention. The reality is grim: students’ math proficiency levels, like those in the San Francisco Unified School District, languish at a low 36%. Clearly, feel-good measures haven’t translated into learning gains.
On the other side of the spectrum, a novel idea has been forwarded—invest in foundational skills. What heresy! Schools seemed to have forgotten that reading, writing, and arithmetic are the bedrocks of all education. Teachers are sounding alarms, noting that students, comfortable with repeating exams, are shirking studying and falling further behind. The chaos is evident, and detractors had a field day when this “equitable” grading debacle turned predictably toxic for student learning.
The proposal seems to ignore one fundamental truth: life isn’t equitable. No amount of educational fairy dust can change the fact that success is achieved by meeting deadlines, honing skills, and pushing oneself beyond mere adequacy. Designing a system that moistureizes students in a bubble where everything is acceptable does them no favors. Real success comes from accountability, effort, and yes, sometimes facing failure. Rather than cling to illusory academic welfarism, the real task lies in teaching resilience and perseverance. Isn’t it time to expect more from education than just momentary appeasement?
