Public Education
WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR KIDS?
A new school year has begun, and with it comes yet another wave of so-called “new and improved” teaching strategies. The longer I teach, the more I notice that these initiatives are usually the brainchild of a consultant—or a former teacher who cashed in by writing a book—promising quick fixes for student achievement. Districts often spend exorbitant amounts of money chasing these fads, hoping to boost test scores. But too often, the latest “big idea” in education doesn’t improve learning at all. In fact, many of these trends seem to make things worse.
One of the most troubling examples is the rise of “equitable grading,” a policy that has spread across the country in recent years. Pushed heavily by liberal administrators, this system insists that teachers abandon traditional grading practices in the name of fairness. Its most controversial feature is the elimination of zeroes for missed work. Instead of recording a zero when a student fails to turn in an assignment or performs poorly on a test, teachers are required to give a minimum score—often 50% (my school does 40%). Advocates argue that this prevents students from becoming discouraged and mathematically allows them to recover over the course of a semester.
But while the idea may sound compassionate, teachers themselves are deeply skeptical. More than 80 percent of educators surveyed said the no-zeroes policy hurts student engagement. Even the Wall Street Journal has seen the problems that the “grading for equity” movement has spread rapidly in recent years. Still, more teachers are pushing back, warning that the policies destroy the need for hardwork, inflate grades, and create a culture of lowered expectations.
Some districts have already begun reversing course. San Francisco made headlines in May when it scrapped its equity-grading plan just one day after unveiling it as a result of parental frustration. Parents and educators criticized the proposal—under which homework and attendance would not affect grades—as yet another step toward rewarding students for doing less. As the New York Post put it, the quick reversal showed just how unpopular these ideas can be once families realize their long-term consequences.
From a conservative perspective, this should all come as no surprise. Granting half-credit for doing nothing sends exactly the wrong message: effort is optional, deadlines are negotiable, and rewards will come even when responsibility is abandoned. Far from creating equity, no-zeroes grading enables underachievement and excuses. This feels a lot like the welfare system to me...
Life doesn’t work that way. Employees don’t get paid for not showing up. Taxpayers don’t get partial credit for skipping deadlines. In every other sphere of adult life, accountability matters. Schools that embrace no-zeroes grading are not preparing students for the real world; they are shielding them from it. Instead of encouraging grit and perseverance, these policies incentivize laziness and mediocrity. The result is inflated grades that mask the truth: too many students are not learning the material and are being rewarded anyway.
A zero reflects a reality—that work wasn’t done, expectations weren’t met. Replacing that truth with a false score is nothing more than putting lipstick on a pig. In trying to create equity, schools are lowering standards for all and stripping away the very tools that drive students to rise above challenges.
Parents who value accountability and rigor should not sit quietly as schools drift toward this “equity by erasure” approach. There are concrete steps families can take. First, they should demand transparency. Ask school leaders directly whether grading policies have changed, and specifically whether no-zero rules are in effect. Too often, these policies are quietly implemented without clear communication to families, and I speak from experience. Second, parents should speak out—at board meetings, in parent associations, and with local administrators. Schools respond when communities make it clear that high expectations are non-negotiable.
Finally, families should remember they are not alone. Teachers across the country are voicing their frustration with no-zeroes grading. By building alliances with educators, parents can add weight to the pushback and remind districts that true equity comes from opportunity, effort, and responsibility—not artificially inflated grades.In the end, education should be about preparing students for life. Shielding them from failure today only ensures harsher lessons tomorrow, and that these small cheats only get more inflated as they grow up.
Parents must insist that schools maintain standards that reward effort, mastery, and perseverance. Because when it comes to raising capable, responsible young adults, no-zeroes really means no-accountability—and that’s the last thing our schools should be teaching.
Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14
Getting involved locally:
There are many different ways that citizens can get involved in the educational process. Schools are asking for participation in many different ways. The schools along the corridor have made school board meetings readily available for the public to watch and participate in. Together, we can contribute time and attention to our young people. Below is a list of opportunities:
-Attend a board meeting (virtual): Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail
-Run for school board positions
-Write your local superintendent
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Bennett * Mrs. Robin Purdy
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Strasburg * Mr. Dan Hoff
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Byers * Mr. Tom Turrell
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Deer Trail * Mr. BJ Buchmann