FINALLY!

Teachers and parents in Dallas, Texas, are angry about new grading policies that they say are dumbing down the district and pushing students through the system who haven't earned it.

Students who fail a test in Dallas this year get to retake it, with the failed score tossed out.

One of the most contentious of the policies allows a student who fails a test to retake it, with the lower score being tossed out.

"Instead of setting high expectations and the high standards and holding them to that, we seem to be wanting to lower the bar and give them an excuse not to succeed," said Dale Kaiser, president of the National Education Association, the teachers union.

Dallas Independent School District officials refused multiple interview requests from CNN. But in interviews with CNN affiliates and in documents outlining the grading policy, district officials say the goal of the grading system is to emphasize learning, not failure.

"This is not about giving anybody any sort of free ride. What this is about is giving students a second chance to be successful," John Dahlander, a spokesman for the school district, told CNN-affiliate WFAA.

The policy allowing failed test scores to be thrown out is just one of several changes to the grading policy that went into effect at the start of this school year.

Other grading policies include:

• For elementary and middle school students, only homework grades "that raise a student's average" will be recorded.

• Students must be given one opportunity to turn in homework assignments that weren't finished on time.

• Parents must be contacted before a teacher records a zero in the grade book.

"I think it's ridiculous," said parent Bobbie Wilhite. "It's tough out there once you get out of high school. We're already namby-pamby enough for our kids."

Finally, I'm not the only one noticing that kids these days are being hand held throughout their lives, and are totally unprepared for the real world.

"only home grades that raise the average" are recorded?  What kind of bullshit line of thinking is that?  Does your boss only think of things when doing your annual review that make you look better?  Of course, not, he/she looks at the whole picture.  Then they decide on how much your raise should be accordingly.  Don't like it?  Get another job or work harder.

What the fuck are parents needing to be told for their kid getting a zero?  Why are they allowed to turn in an assignment late?  We were allowed that, but you automatically lost a percentage of your grade every day it was late, sometimes even by the hour.  After I believe it was 3 days, you shouldn't even bother, because even if the paper was perfect, you still failed.

It's a rough world people, and when you coddle your kids, you are telling them that it's ok to hide under mommy's skirt and she'll protect you at all times.  When mommy retires or dies, then they will have a meltdown sometime in the future, I guarantee it.

It's time to go back to the old ways.  Kids got out of line?  They got swatted by the teacher or principal.  Don't show up?  You get detention.  Homework not up to snuff?  You fail.  Fail enough times, you repeat the grade.  You will grow up and know how to think and act properly, I promise you that if these things are reenacted.

Want to know what the real world is like?  Here you go:

It's just not as intense, but the rules are the same.  First time, every time.  Watch your team mates back.  Work hard and you will be rewarded.

 

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com