Here is a guideline of equitable grading in the Portland Public School system.
Black underachievement in K-12 education is a disgraceful plague in our system. Minority Hugh school graduates who can’t read at grade level, do simple math, or understand simple civics are typical. Students with abilities in STEM disciplines are rare. The reasons are numerous, including the home and social environments that are not conducive to education, and school educrats who don’t make student achievement their highest priority.
Enter equitable grading. If the above link is typical, equitable grading will guarantee a permanent and acceptable minority under achievement. While the objectives seem to use the right words, operationally this system is a disaster for kids. Grades based on race, social backgrounds, while excusing cheating, timeliness and behavior is bad enough. But the metrics for student achievement seem to be largely based on the student social conditions while ignoring more rigorous objective standards. The end resuLt is nothing will change. Instead of creating an environment of motivating high student achievement, equitable grading seems to normalize low achievement— so long as the achievement is consistent with race and culture.
While efforts like this seemingly address current students, we are really dealing with the future of blacks and minorities. Education is the place where the public has the best opportunity to improve lives. Equitable grading reinforces the current problems. Generations of bad education produces the social conditions that make education difficult. Is equitable grading a thing because standards for high achievement reflect whiteness? Some have made that argument. I guess the answer is, so what?
We can’t achieve an equitable society with equitable grading. Equitable grading will produce inequitable outcomes. The Ben Carson’s will always rise to the top. But we need many more like him. Equitable grading inhibits that.
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Black underachievement in K-12 education is a disgraceful plague in our system. Minority Hugh school graduates who can’t read at grade level, do simple math, or understand simple civics are typical. Students with abilities in STEM disciplines are rare. The reasons are numerous, including the home and social environments that are not conducive to education, and school educrats who don’t make student achievement their highest priority.
Enter equitable grading. If the above link is typical, equitable grading will guarantee a permanent and acceptable minority under achievement. While the objectives seem to use the right words, operationally this system is a disaster for kids. Grades based on race, social backgrounds, while excusing cheating, timeliness and behavior is bad enough. But the metrics for student achievement seem to be largely based on the student social conditions while ignoring more rigorous objective standards. The end resuLt is nothing will change. Instead of creating an environment of motivating high student achievement, equitable grading seems to normalize low achievement— so long as the achievement is consistent with race and culture.
While efforts like this seemingly address current students, we are really dealing with the future of blacks and minorities. Education is the place where the public has the best opportunity to improve lives. Equitable grading reinforces the current problems. Generations of bad education produces the social conditions that make education difficult. Is equitable grading a thing because standards for high achievement reflect whiteness? Some have made that argument. I guess the answer is, so what?
We can’t achieve an equitable society with equitable grading. Equitable grading will produce inequitable outcomes. The Ben Carson’s will always rise to the top. But we need many more like him. Equitable grading inhibits that.
