<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">An interesting treatise.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">I think the things you recommend are worth
giving a shot.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Some of the children would gain from those
suggestions, <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">and some would not do as well. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">I think the true task is to find out what
techniques work for what children. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">The fact that certain limitations are being
imposed on us is good reason to try some of these ideas out. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">And perhaps many children would flourish, <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Whear as if they did not have the opportunity to
use your ideas would simply languish. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">We should be exploring these ideas without being
forced to by the plague. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">But we do not and probably would not do so. <o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">The piece is very well written<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">  </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Stop Grading Students during the Pandemic<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Marcia J. Wick, The Write Sisters<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">December 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Word Count:  573<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Life on all levels has been disrupted during the
Corona Virus pandemic, yet we hold onto pre-pandemic grading practices that are
arbitrary and unfair for students and teachers under these circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Over the decades, our educational system has
become data driven. We’ve developed standardized tests that measure progress
from grade to grade; we even track learning from fall to spring. We’ve
established benchmarks so we can assign points and letters to equate learning.
That’s all well and good during a “normal” school year, but soon we’ll be
entering the second year of “abnormal,” as this global health crisis continues
into 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">On top of stress and concerns over life and
death matters, our children, parents, and teachers feel pressure to meet a host
of educational expectations, compounding their capacity to manage mental and
emotional health challenges during this unprecedented time. The impact of the
virus on our economy, travel, public health system, small businesses, and
public entities like libraries is beyond our imagining. We look for the silver
lining in little things like spontaneous acts of kindness and creative insights
into coping with our solitude. But in the midst of our chaos, we demand the
security and comfort of sending our children off to school every day, as if
nothing is amiss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Let’s relax. History shows us that the
disruption of a child’s education during the worst of times – war, famine, the
age of cholera, the holocaust - although having short-term impact, may be
overcome over the long-term. Most children continue to learn and develop
naturally under difficult conditions, especially if allowed the freedom to
experience and explore while living history in the making. On the other hand,
under the best of circumstances, many children resist learning when required to
conform to standards. What if a child who often fails wasn’t graded relative to
the performance of his peers, but relative to his own progress and effort?
Until students are able to return to a structured classroom, why not allow them
to explore learning under their own terms during this epic time of difficulty
and duress?<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">If I were a social scientist, I’d jump at the
opportunity and design a study on the impact of “observing,” not “measuring,”
the enthusiasm, motivation, inspiration, and confidence children gain without a
grading system to gauge success. Might a student who often “fails” relatives to
fellow students seize the opportunity to explore any topic of interest to her?
Rather than drilling each fifth grader to master division, for instance, let
each child develop their own curriculum. If a student is interested in trains,
yoga, or video games, allow them to study the history of trains, yoga, or video
games. Ask the child to write a report on the impact of their topic on the
economy, health, or technology. Could the student apply their passion and
energy to ultimately qualify as an “expert” in his area of interest? After all,
that’s what’s required to advance, excel, earn a living, and build a career.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Learning is a process. Children arrive at
understanding at different points along the road. Must they meet a specific
milestone by a specific age or grade in school? What if a student learns beyond
her years about space travel, but she can’t identify a pronoun? What if the lad
who is dyslexic can engineer a mouse trap that produces solar energy? What if
we gave each student a passing grade and a pass for 2020?<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;background:white">_______________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"><br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div>