Staff Reports
The San Francisco Public School District has recently unveiled a radical new grading policy that allows students to graduate with only a 21% score. In a move that seems to prioritize mediocrity over merit, this “grading for equity” method drops homework and regular tests from the semester’s final grade. Instead, one lone exam at the end of the semester determines a student’s fate, and yes, this can be retaken multiple times. The policy’s cheerleader, Superintendent Maria Su, launched these guidelines without bothering to ask for the board’s approval. Now, students across 14 high schools can ditch classes, fail to turn in assignments, and still inch toward graduation without facing any academic consequences.
This is yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of progressive education policies spiraling out of control. It appears that the days of striving for excellence and earning grades based on hard work are fading fast. The new scale kindly hands out As for scores as low as 80% and Ds for a mere 21%. One has to wonder if these algebra whizzes are reaching for calculators or simply setting the bar comically low. Apparently, in San Francisco, simply showing up is the new achievement.
This isn’t about making education equitable. Let’s be clear: this is about bumping up graduation rates, convenience over competence, all behind the conveniently smokescreened mantra of “equity.” Once upon a time, schools taught discipline, respect for deadlines, and a decent work ethic. Now, one of the few redeeming qualities of a school system, enforcing accountability, is tossed aside. No showing up? No problem. Assignments late? Don’t sweat it. They’ve taken the term “no student left behind” to a whole new level of absurdity.
While tales of similar educational missteps aren’t exclusive to San Francisco, these policies do not have specific sources elsewhere in the provided data. In a job market fiercely competitive and in need of competent individuals, these policies are at best laughable. The message being sent is that just coasting by is not only acceptable but rewarded. Parents must wonder about the point of sending kids to public schools when discipline and achievement give way to mere participation trophies. It’s time to question why society stands by while schools dilute the meaning of education with each passing year. If this trajectory continues, one might soon find oneself reminiscing about a time when effort and diligence mattered in classrooms.
