Only after constant pleas from youth requesting the school board to adopt a new grading system to address the record amounts of F’s given during distance learning did the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) finally decide to do something. This whole ordeal is about understanding that students are human and that they are struggling to have basic needs met during a global pandemic.
While the SMJUHSD sat on their hands, neighboring districts took initiative and enacted policy changes early. Santa Barbara Unified School District made adjustments to its grading criteria by eliminating F’s; the Orcutt Union School District moved permanently to a mastery over punitive grading model that gave leeway to students to show what they learned instead of penalizing them for things outside their control. Although SMJUHSD finally decided to do something about the issue, they still fall significantly short.
We strongly believe that the district should have eliminated F’s. No student should be punished for a situation outside of their control. Despite many public comments from students outlining their hardships during this time, it was disheartening to hear from teachers and some school board members that “there are students that definitely deserve their failing grades” and that “the ‘F’ letter grades are powerful ways to communicate to students and parents how they are not mastering the subject matter.”
These types of public comments show that there is much more work to do to achieve education equity in Santa Maria. This is a repugnant and reprehensible way to view our youth. A more powerful way to communicate to students and parents that their students are not mastering the subject is by early intervention and engagement, not by assigning an “F” at the end of the semester when the damage is already done. This disconnect demonstrates there’s a lack of understanding between some school administrators and the students they serve.
We applaud board member Amy Lopez for mentioning that the board meets again to further discuss fair and equitable grading practices, including eliminating F’s. We hope the school board moves quickly because so many students have already been harmed. Students who used to have all A’s have received failing grades this year and have seen their hopes of getting into a good college crushed.
The first step the school board and teachers need to take is having a more empathetic and understanding approach toward those they claim to serve.
Angel Lopez
Santa Maria
This article appears in Mar 18-25, 2021.