Articles are available for reprint as long as the author is acknowledged.

A's Don't Mean Learning: Knowledge Does

Domenick J. Maglio, Ph.D. Neo-Traditionalist

Almost every car bumper has a sticker that reads “Proud parent of an Honor Student”. The student’s self-esteem is bolstered, the parents are proud, the school is off the hook but are the students learning the basic skills necessary for becoming successful adults?

Grade inflation is rampant in our schools. In an article by Peter Hong entitled "Better Grades Don’t Mean Freshmen are Smarter" that ran in the Tampa Tribune on February 1, 2003 he says, “Bruce Poch is among many educators who think grade inflation is increasing. More and more teachers are pressured to give more A’s and college bound students believe they cannot afford anything less, say students, college officials and educational researchers.” Many school’s concern for the feeling of pressure of students have numerous valdictorians, as many as fourteen, instead of making the hard choice to name just one. Students think they are entitled to A’s when doing just enough to “get by”. This is a disaster for a student’s future.

Almost all objective standards show the US public schools are not doing as well as local district public officials would lead us to believe. Our nation lags behind other countries in science and math. Our SAT scores have been declining even after tweaking the test to dumb it down. Many of the straight A students who enter college are unable to survive. These students “hit a wall” of the higher standards of adult life. Some college professors are not inclined to pamper their students. Either work is handed in on time and done correctly or you fail

We are not doing a quality job in elementary and high school of preparing students for the vigor of undergraduate study and life.

Government schools are creating social and entertainment centers that simulate a Disneyworld atmosphere making children believe they have a right to dictate what they want to do rather than what they need to do. Modern education is following the same path of least resistance as has modern parenting. Make the students happy at all cost will make the parent satisfied, reduce headaches for teachers and administration. Everyone is appeased.

This works well in the short run but is a travesty in the long run. The student and parents are elated until the student is unable or unwilling to comply with a minimum standard or expectation. It may be a simple behavior such as sitting or listening correctly. It may be passing a college or military entrance exam.

The important skills are often not taught by their preoccupied and harried parents. Nor do the schools think it is their responsibility to focus on character, basic skills and rote factual knowledge. The academic and emotional gaps are rarely acknowledged no less remediated as the child moves obliviously and confidently through the school years.

This policy of giving false confidence to parents and students has a down side. It is called “reality”. Even the student in regular academic classes who has an A average frequently does not possess the work habits and basic knowledge to be successful in college. When the student goes into the job market or undergraduate school his lack of basic skill attainment places him at a high risk for failure. Bosses and college professors do not judge young adults on how “cool” they are, rather they judge on results.

The way parents can avoid this ticking tome bomb of high grades and low skills is to do the following:

  • Observe your child’s ability in reading, writing and math. Find out where the child ranks in the class of students. Don’t be blinded by bloated grades.
  • Watch for a child’s arrogant and nasty attitude towards family and friends that would cause problems in school and their future.
  • Dine together as a family asking your child what they learned in or out of school today.
  • Monitor your children’s schoolwork but don’t do it for them.
  • Remember B’s and C’s should be viewed as yesterday’s D’s and F’s and are potential problems that have to be closely examined.
  • Award the teacher, not the child, the benefit of the doubt. Don’t start out defending your child. Ask the teacher what specifically can be done to help your child and do it.
  • Make a stand by appearing at school board meetings when you are sure the policies and procedures are not in the best interest of your child.

In our politically correct world high grades for a student can disguise serious flaws or difficulties. A student making the honor roll should not anesthetize parents into believing that their child is doing well when the parents know the child could do a lot better. When the child receives an A for minimal effort the parent should take the initiative and call the school for a conference. We deserve more for our children than being placated with high unearned grades.

Parents want their children to increase their skills and knowledge to eventually compete in the adult world. Only through integrity in communication from school to parents including grading can parents accurately gauge the progress of their child and the effectiveness of the use of their hard earned tax dollars.