School officials in the Orlando, Fla. area have found a new and exciting way to coddle kids. Under a policy that has already been in place for a year, students who do absolutely no work and earn zero credit no longer receive a grade of zero.
Instead, all students — including do-absolutely-nothing students — receive 50 percent as their quarterly grades, reports local ABC affiliate WFTV.
The purpose of the generous policy is to prevent students from dropping out of taxpayer-funded public schools. Students who don’t do any work often get discouraged at the grades which reflect their work, it seems. Then they get a case of the sads and drop out of school.
While the policy of making 50 percent the lowest grade a student can receive has been in place for a year, the Orange County school board is only just now getting around to voting officially on it.
A lot of parents and students are unhappy.
“I think it’s unfair because some students don’t do any work so they should get a zero,” one high school senior told WFTV.
“Pushing them through, pushing them through, instead of focusing on what they really need – help,” exasperated parent Melony Crownover griped to the ABC affiliate.
The president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, Diana Moore, also opposes the policy.
“If I have a student who’s working their tail off to get a grade, but the student who’s sleeping through class is getting a 50 too, I’m a little upset over that,” Moore told the station.
School district officials had no comment about the official policy change.
The school board vote is slated for Tuesday evening.
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