Live data from Hacker News

America Needs Tough Grading

wsj.com

1–10 of 28 posts

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#2
Parents won't allow tough grading lets be honest, they just like how it sounds on paper. There's far too many kids nowadays with parents who think they can do no wrong terrorising classrooms and sapping attention from students who actually put the effort in but if you actually contact their parents and tell them maybe their kid shouldn't assault other people or put some more effort in to get better grades they enter this weird denial state and lash out and their kid keeps up the bad behaviour.

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#3
https://archive.is/YmsDf

--

I attended Undergrad from 1997 to 2001 and I distinctly remember the first paper I received from a new Associate Professor in my major (History) that was a C-. I argued that it would have been an A-level grade in any other professor's class; this new professor told me, in no uncertain terms, that it was most definitely a C- grade and I needed to do better. I did and it made me a better researcher and eventually writer.

I finished that course with a hard-earned B+ and I felt better about myself and my abilities thereafter. As a D1 athlete, I had clear goals and expectations set for me by those who I was against and whom came before me. This was the first time in my academic career where I felt I had received a challenge and clear guidelines on how to improve; something I felt helped me achieve better outcomes.

Education is not intended to be a breeze; it's intended to be a challenge to help you stretch and grow. Just because you and/or your family is spending tens of thousands a semester does not give anyone the right to skate by with the bare minimum effort applied.

I have high expectations for my children academically. My undergrad and graduate degrees were paid for by others (athletics and my employer) alongside of my own work in both. I want my children to grow up and be successful and they will not be if I smooth the road for them in unfair ways. I explain that, in life, they will face uncertain and likely unfair challenges from external forces and they need to not only stretch and grow in their knowledgebase to challenge these forces, but they should also learn to navigate them with grace--an academic exercise in and of itself.

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#4
Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience.

What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#6
post #4

Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience. What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

I don't disagree about the problems in government but I don't think we need to look through that lens all the time.

Grade inflation and an environment that is unwilling to challenge our children can be a problem even if bad things are going on elsewhere. One could argue that a system that encourages kids to work hard, face challenges, and value deep thought might make the population more resilient against anti-intellectualism.

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#7
post #4

Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience. What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

Well if we post the Ten Commandments in our schools, wouldn’t that make us wiser and smarter ?

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#8
post #4

Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience. What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

I don't disagree about the problems in government but I don't think we need to look through that lens all the time. Grade inflation and an environment that is unwilling to challenge our children can be a problem even if bad things are going on elsewhere. One could argue that a system that encourages kids to work hard, face challenges, and value deep thought might make the population more resilient against anti-intell…

>I don't think we need to look through that lens all the time.

You don't think so, but kids aren't stupid and see what's going on.

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#9
post #4

Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience. What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

I feel sorry for people like you who can't read an article such as this one without expressing rage at the current administration. Regardless of my political positions, I've come to learn that there are enough substantive, significant issues where bipartisan unity is a no-brainer, but those in power, with all of their self-interested agendas, profit from the people being at each other's throats.

We may disagree on carbon credits, but we nobody disagrees on having clean water, sustainable sources of energy, regulations on sanitation, waste, and pollution; affordable education; term limits and abolishing lobbyists. The list goes on.

Mellow out and focus on the substance without letting your TDS flare up.

Re: America Needs Tough Grading

#10
post #4

Absolutely tone deaf article when the whole US Presidency, half of Congress and half of Senate are promoting incompetence and punishing any experience. What is the goal of "tough grading" when they, and a majority of the population, actively despise any kind of expertise?

Other people being bad isn't an excuse to not do better. Where would we get as a society if every suggestion to improve was met with "well what about those other people who are worse"?
Post reply on HN