San Francisco school officials killed plans Wednesday to test out a controversial new way to grade some high school students after strong opposition from parents and politicians.
About 70 teachers at 14 high schools were expected to participate in a voluntary program that would factor in things such as whether a parent signed a permission slip or whether a student brought a canned good for a food drive into their grade, according to the Grading for Equity initiative.
Recommended Stories
- MIT becomes latest elite university to shut down DEI office
- Trump administration announces steps to fight student aid fraud after millions paid to ineligible recipients
- Linda McMahon declares a 'lack of attention' toward antisemitism triggered a focus on elite universities
The program would also give students several chances to take tests and rewrite essays, as well as allow changes to the grading scale. Currently, students who receive zero to 59 points get an F, but only 10 points differentiate a D, C, B, and A grade.
Anger over the proposal exploded online after social media accounts incorrectly reported it was a done deal. It wasn’t, but the outrage was so strong it prompted three prominent Bay Area politicians to weigh in with their disapproval.
“We owe our young people an education that prepares them to succeed,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie (D) posted on X. “The proposed changes to grading at [San Francisco Unified School District] would not accomplish that. I have conveyed our view to SFUSD. We are optimistic that there is a better path forward for our kids and their future.”
SFUSD is the only public school district within the city and county of San Francisco and serves about 50,000 students across 122 schools.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (D) also weighed in.
“I try to stay in my San Jose lane, but as a former East Side public school teacher I have to say — this is a terrible disservice to our students,” Mahan posted on X. “Lowering standards does not help children. It hurts them.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) posted on social media that his father “came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. Giving A’s for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids.”
Despite the pushback, districts across the country, including in New York, Nevada, and other parts of California, are currently using the Grading for Equity program in their schools.
Grading for Equity is the brainchild of Joe Feldman, a principal-turned-consultant, who has built a business revamping how teachers have graded students for generations. Feldman said the idea is to give teachers evidence-based information on grading and a “broader set of practices.”
In March, Feldman told a group of New York teachers that there should be no penalties for late work, no grades for homework, no points for good behavior, classroom participation, or perfect attendance.
“When you include those in a grade, you’re bringing your implicit bias into the grade because not all students learn in that particular way,” Feldman told teachers gathered for a training session in Schenectady, New York, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The plan in San Francisco was to offer teachers the information and then let them each choose how to grade their students this upcoming academic year, Feldman told the San Francisco Chronicle. There were no mandates attached, and it would have been completely “teacher-driven.”
EAST ASIAN GOVERNMENTS URGE UNIVERSITIES TO SCOOP UP HARVARD STUDENTS AMID TRUMP FEUD
The uproar was so loud that the school district announced it would not go forward with even a pilot program at this time.
“It’s clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal,” Superintendent Maria Su said in a statement. “We want to make sure any changes benefit our students. I have decided not to pursue this strategy for next year to ensure we have time to meaningfully engage the community.”