Seattle may drop grad standard to D average

Just imagine the responses of parents all over the Seattle area. THis is insanity.
We are preparing a generation for take over because the more uneducated they are, the easier it will be to manipulate them. The unbelievable stupidity of this thought process, running amuck through those that are in positions of authority and decision making for our kids education, is becoming incredibly hard to ignore. To my conspiracy theorist mind, it's not stupidity but fulfilling a future agenda. Continuous dumbing down of Americans. I will post my response to the news story afterwards. It is hard enough being a parent in the normal road but when you start having to fight against the system where your kids spend the majority of their time, you've got to step up your influence because your time with them is limited and you're just a parent, who doesn't know anything by teen standards anyway!

SEATTLE - Seattle public school students could be able to graduate with a D average if a proposed change in policy is approved by the school board.

Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson has recommended the board do away with a requirement that students earn a C average to graduate.

The proposed policy change would also eliminate the requirement that athletes maintain a C average to play on school teams.

Parents surveyed by the district last year favor keeping the C-average requirement.

But officials, who planned to talk about the issue at a school board meeting on Wednesday evening, said they were following policies at other school districts.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the proposals Oct. 7.

Among other changes, the district is now counting an E grade when calculating grade-point averages, which it hadn't done for seven years. And for two years, students have had to pass a state test to graduate.

"We are, in fact, increasing rigor," said Susan Derse, a principal on special assignment who headed up a staff committee that made the recommendations.

Counselors hope the change would encourage some students to stay in school because they would have a greater chance of graduating and some would be more willing to try challenging classes.

Staff members have proposed other changes to the grading system such as allowing plus and minus grades and giving a grade-point bonus to students in honors classes.

District officials said they could not find another large school district in the state that required a C average for graduation, although a number require students to pass more classes than does Seattle.

The C average policy was put in place in 2000. At the time, many worried it could keep hundreds of students from graduating. That didn't happen, in part because the district stopped counting failing grades and allowed students to appeal if their average fell below a C.

Last year, the district granted C-average waivers to 95 students.