D.C. School Does Away with F Grades

You know, I remember nights years ago in which I studied to get by in school.  I tried hard because I wanted to do well and pass, knowing that one day my hard work would pay off.  It was a valuable life lesson and one that is inherent in our capitalist system:  if you work hard, you will achieve success.  Well, a school just outside of Washington D.C. has decided to rid itself of failing grades.

Now, the 2,200 students at West Potomac High School are allowed to hand in papers whenever they wish and will not received a lower grade than others.  In other words, if you turn in a paper two months late, you can still get an "A."

Not only that, but even if you get every single question wrong on a test or a quiz, you still do not receive an F.  In fact, you can take it as many times as you like so long as you don't pass.  If you get an A your tenth time, you get an A and only an A.  Miss school?  That's okay, you do not have to answer for it because the school "understands" that being a kid is tough.

Parents have complained about this new "standard:"

"What about the conscientious student who keeps up with class, studies until 2 a.m. and pulls an A on a math test? Should a peer who skipped class and flubbed the test twice or three times get an equal grade? With the new policy, the ultimate grade on a student transcript could be the same, even though the two students took very different paths."

But "expert" Rick Wormeli defends the decision to give students NMs, or "no mark," when they do not complete their work or do extremely poorly instead of an F.  According to Wormeli, and I can hardly believe this, not giving students an F is harder on students:

"It's far more demanding on kids.  Now it's, 'Oh crud, I have to learn it.' "

I'll just say that Wormeli is full of it.  A much more plausible reaction by a ten or eleven year old that does not want to do his work is: "I don't need to do it and I can't fail no matter what.  I'm not doing it."

West Potomac School Symbol

West Potomac's Principle Cliff Hardison defends his decision to not grade failing students:

"Obviously we're trying to help kids who were not successful in the past, but really we're trying to help all kids."

You know what?  If you work hard and try, you earn your grades.  We do not, and hopefully will never, live in a society that gives away free grades to unqualified citizens.  We should not and cannot give slackers who have never tried in their life high-paying jobs, especially when it takes away the job of someone who has worked hard to get where they are.  This is disgusting.

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