Okay, stories like THIS irritate me (emphasis mine):
Pittsburgh Public Schools officials say they want to give struggling children a chance, but the district is raising eyebrows with a policy that sets 50 percent as the minimum score a student can receive for assignments, tests and other work.
At the same time, they said, the 50 percent minimum gives children a chance to catch up and a reason to keep trying. If a student gets a 20 percent in a class for the first marking period, Ms. Pugh said, he or she would need a 100 percent during the second marking period just to squeak through the semester.
“We want to create situations where students can recover and not give up,” she said, adding a sense of helplessness can lead to behavior and attendance problems.
While some districts use “F” as a failing grade, the city uses an “E.”
“The ‘E’ is to be recorded no lower than a 50 percent, regardless of the actual percent earned. For example, if the student earns a 20 percent on a class assignment, the grade is recorded as a 50 percent,” said the memo from Jerri Lippert, the district’s executive director of curriculum…
This is just stupid! It lowers the value of a diploma and doesn’t prepare kids for real life… the harsh reality where people don’t care how you feel and performance is king. A quote by Albert Einstein in a RECENT POST of mine comes to mind:
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.”
I think children should be introduced to the concepts of winning and losing as early as possible. It allows them to see the consequences of effort and skill as it teaches them to clearly evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It also can help them learn to deal with losing (or winning) in a positive manner.
Dodge-ball is a great game. Instead of “everyone wins” soccer games, dodge-ball has clear winners and losers. Nothing like learning early in life whether games involving agility and throwing things are in your future. Suck at sports? Find out early and try something new.
We all don’t have to be good at everything — and the sooner that’s learned and accepted the better.
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