Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan on Tuesday that will go into effect this fall at 14 high schools and cover over 10,000 students. The school district is already negotiating with an outside consultant to train teachers in August in a system that awards a passing C grade to as low as a score of 41 on a 100-point exam.
Were it not for an intrepid school board member, the drastic change in grading with implications for college admissions and career readiness would have gone unnoticed and unexplained. It is buried in a three-word phrase on the last page of a PowerPoint presentation embedded in the school board meeting’s 25-page agenda. The plan comes during the last week of the spring semester while parents are assessing the impact of over $100 million in budget reductions and deciding whether to remain in the public schools this fall. While the school district acknowledges that parent aversion to this grading approach is typically high and understands the need for “vigilant communication,” outreach to parents has been minimal and may be nonexistent. The school district’s Office of Equity homepage does not mention it and a page containing the SFUSD definition of equity has not been updated in almost three years.
Grading for Equity eliminates homework or weekly tests from being counted in a student’s final semester grade. All that matters is how the student scores on a final examination, which can be taken multiple times. Students can be late turning in an assignment or showing up to class or not showing up at all without it affecting their academic grade. Currently, a student needs a 90 for an A and at least 61 for a D. Under the San Leandro Unified School District’s grading for equity system touted by the San Francisco Unified School District and its consultant, a student with a score as low as 80 can attain an A and as low as 21 can pass with a D.
———
———
My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90. He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. Giving A’s for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids.
———-
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie:
We owe our young people an education that prepares them to succeed. The proposed changes to grading at SFUSD would not accomplish that.
I have conveyed our view to SFUSD. We are optimistic that there is a better path forward for our kids and their future.
———
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan:
I try to stay in my San Jose lane, but as a former East Side public school teacher I have to say — this is a terrible disservice to our students. Lowering standards does not help children. It hurts them.
———
The great irony of our time is that Mississippi is successfully working to fix one of the most broken school systems in the country while San Francisco works to destroy what was once one of the best school districts in the country.
———
Walter Kirn:
A guide at the Mark Twain museum in Hartford once told a friend of mine during a tour: “Did you know Mark Twain dropped out of school in his teens to work in print shops and on a river boat? Just think how much greater a writer he would have been if he’d finished high school!”
———
This is, on its face, absolutely retarded.
It’s also a disgrace that this comes from the preeminent tech capital of the world.
This will, however, be very good for housing prices in areas surrounding SF.
———
“Grades” and the taxpayer funded Madison school District
