THIS is our future?

So while driving home from work this morning I heard something very disturbing on the radio.  Very. Very. Disturbing.  Was it some raunchy lyrics to a trashy song that makes you cringe just hearing it? No.  Was it some racist, sexist, or derogatory joke? No.  Britney Spears attempting to sing? Definitely no.  It was the radio peeps talking about a local public school district here.  Apparently, said school district has adopted the same thought process of many other school districts.  They are changing their grading policy in the schools.  To what you ask?

WELL... you don't want to do an assignment? Dont. You'll still get a 50% instead of that "0" you should have gotten.  If you jot out a few answers that could actually be right you get a 65%.  While that's still a failing grade (70% and above is passing) I couldn't believe what I was hearing!  My daughter isn't school age yet..but it now makes me cringe thinking about her going to school.  REALLY? You don't even ATTEMPT to do an assignment and you still get a 50% for it? Well that... that is absolutely bullshit   crazy  wonderful.

So what is this asshat backwards ridiculous policy called you ask? The "No Zero Policy".  Basically the reasoning behind it is that giving a student a "0" on something just discourages them from trying in the future.  They're saying a "0" on something is hard for the student to come back from in terms of their grades.  WELL HERE'S a CRAZY idea.. why don't you actually try on something.. study..ask for help.. accept tutoring.. so you don't get that "0" ? 

It just boggles my mind that the school district has put this policy into action.  Is this really what we want to teach our children?  That they'll never totally fail because we'll always be there to provide some sort of cushioning?  That when they put in barely ANY effort they still won't totally fail?  That they will still get rewarded with some sort of grade (even if it is just 65% and still a failing grade) even if they don't try their hardest?  It disgusts me.  If you don't put forth the effort and try your hardest and you get a "0".. then you deserve that "0".  Period. The End. No questions asked.

It doesn't really make me nervous for my daughter or future children because we are always going to instill in them that trying your hardest with give you the greatest reward.  But it just makes me sad that their classmates are still getting "rewarded" in a certain way for doing absolutely nothing.  It makes me nervous thinking into the future that these kids are going to be the ones out there working in the real world.  In my real world.  It's not a very pretty picture.  In the real world..you don't give much of an effort or performance..then you get fired.  So while they're attempting to "cushion" the feelings of these kids and attempt to help them succeed... they're only hurting them in the end.

Hmmm.. I wonder if I don't put in any effort at work if I'll still get 50% of my paycheck...

OH, and have I mentioned how glad I am to be a taxpayer whose money goes into supporting this crap? .. Suh-weet!!

(Hopefully private school hasn't adopted this asinine method of thinking when Kylee is of age to go to school...)