SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The school board in San Francisco has taken the term “flattening the curve” to an absurd level.
The New York Post is reporting that out of the interest of “fairness” and in order to relieve media and politician-induced “coronavirus-related traumas,” the school board has decided that all students will get “A” grades this year. You honestly cannot make this stuff up.
“We’re in a pandemic, people,” cried school board member Alison Collins during a meeting last Wednesday conducted via Zoom. “People are dying. This is not the time for us to be acting normally.” Clearly.
“Why not give students A’s? Like, why not?” she said.
San Francisco, called “San Fransicko” by some is living up to the latter name by implementing such an absurd program.
The decision by the board goes against the recommendations of the University of California and California State University systems, according to The Mercury News. Of course we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, San Francisco decided to cover up a mural of George Washington last year.
The San Francisco School Board voted to destroy a historic fresco of George Washington because it offends black students and Native Americans. This is a modern-day example of culture jihad — leftists destroying our history.https://t.co/8lUts4vdCg pic.twitter.com/Xx55wdv3PK
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 27, 2019
The state university systems had recommended that school districts utilize a pass/fail system as opposed to letter grades for students who have had their school year disrupted by the pandemic.
The school board said that there needed to be some consideration given to students in light of having their normal educational routine changed.
The teacher’s union was down with the idea as well, with a teachers union representative, Susan Solomon noting, “We would be in support of giving students A’s. We are very determined that this should be about doing no harm to our students.”
“How do we as educators support students who need that support?
It’s not a question that is radically different from the questions we have always asked of how can we support our students, but it’s heightened during this crisis…our goal is to see no student fail as a result of this pandemic and school closures.”
It should be noted that San Francisco, a city of 3.31 million people has seen 1,013 cases and 17 deaths, or in other words, three-thousandths of one percent of San Francisco residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
“This is an unprecedented situation,” said board member Rachel Norton. “To continue to have grades as an accountability system doesn’t really seem to meet this moment very well.”
In an almost as wacky proposal, school board president and teacher Mark Sanchez initially had the idea to have students assign themselves grades. Seriously.
“I’d like to give them some power and let them decide,” he said. “If a student thinks that they would earn an “A” then they should assign themselves an “A.” If it’s a “B” it’s a “B” or a “C” or a “D.” We should trust them to make the right judgment.”
So this clown thinks that little 6-year-old Johnny should have the power to assign himself a grade? Really?
However Ms. Collins thought that was a bad idea, calling it draconian, complaining that “kids with mediocre academic histories might feel compelled to assign themselves a corresponding grade,” the Post said.
“The problem is that if I’m a student and I’m not going to class at all and I’m feeling guilty that I’m not doing that because I feel like I should be, I might be more likely to give myself a lower grade,” she said.
Clearly she doesn’t teach English.
“Honestly, I believe we should do a straight across the board system. Everyone should have the same thing apply.”
You know, like the whole every kid gets a trophy thing.
The only one with any brains in the room, school Superintendent Vincent Matthews was concerned about the plan, arguing that such a form of “blanket perfection” would not be embraced by all.
“We definitely will hear from parents and from teachers because it basically begins to recreate—if every student knows they’re going to get an A, for many learning becomes optional.”
The San Francisco School Board voted to destroy a historic fresco of George Washington because it offends black students and Native Americans. This is a modern-day example of culture jihad — leftists destroying our history.https://t.co/8lUts4vdCg pic.twitter.com/Xx55wdv3PK
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 27, 2019
Great point. What is the purpose of completing school work, which is being done online for the rest of the school year, if everyone is going to get an “A” anyway?
Matthews also expressed concern that by removing any type of legitimate grading from classroom performance, it could complicate college applications for students in the district.
Since the UC system had indicated that they would only accept traditional A through F grading systems, or preferably pass or fail, he was concerned this could impact San Francisco students.
However Collins used typical liberal parlance in arguing against the university system’s policies, saying:
“If they can’t deal with that, you guys are heartless,” maintaining that the school district shouldn’t “bow to collegiate resistance given the extraordinary circumstances created by the coronavirus.”
Honestly, it is surprising that Collins isn’t suggesting that all students in the state should just automatically gain acceptance to college, given the “extraordinary circumstances” posed by COVID-19.
This of course is arguably part of the path toward doing away with grades, period. Collins claimed that due to a “choppy transition to remote learning,” it would be difficult to make sure there was consistency across schools. Throwing in class arguments, she also said that children who had access to “more resources” were better served by distance learning.
“These are conversations (with Democrats it’s always about “conversations”) we should be having anyway,” Collins argued. “What are grades worth anyway? They don’t make kids work harder, they don’t really give feedback.”
That my friends is the money shot. Do away with grades.
Other districts throughout the Bay Area have gone to the pass/fail system favored by the state’s colleges and universities.
“I think I am having trouble understanding where UC’s stance is and their inability to see the current crisis,” said board member Gabriela Lopez. “I just can’t agree with their choices right now…I don’t want anyone to have a fail or incomplete. I think that would be completely unfair.”
The proposal was favored by teachers, students (of course), and board members, however the board will confer with the state’s department of education, as well as the state’s colleges and universities to make sure students’ chances of enrolling in colleges are not hurt.
Matthews cautioned however that the policy should be implemented with “eyes wide open,” with the expectation the plan will be widely criticized. He noted there was pushback from teachers and students after the online implementation, noting that students were not motivated by optional courses.
San Francisco’s school board flunks by handing out all A’s to its students. https://t.co/QSJDdz7wdN
— SFChronicle Opinion (@sfc_opinions) April 19, 2020
Student delegates to the board agreed that some of their fellow students would likely “disengage” once they’re guaranteed a perfect grade.
“I want to make sure that you know going in that if every student is going to get an ‘A’, we definitely will hear from parents and from teachers. Because if every student knows they’re going to get an ‘A’, for many learning becomes optional.”
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