Yesterday, I theorized that pretty soon teachers wouldn't even bother to grade papers any more. Well, the Tennessean reported yesterday, that metro schools are considering wiping out half of the grading scale.

A proposal is on the table to effectively wipe out all grades between 0 and 50. The lowest failing grade given will be a 50. Now, proponents will argue that these are just the youngest kids, and we don't want to crush them with ultra low failing grades.

When I think back to my own childhood, there was a time when we didn't receive letter grades. We received Outstanding, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, etc. At some point in time during our development, the scale was switched to a 100 point letter scale. I guess you could argue that switching to a 100-50 point letter scale is a good intermediary, but I disagree.

The main reason I disagree, is because I don't think it will stop there. I feel that this is merely a single step in the overall coddling of our nation's children. This coddling will not effectively prepare them for college, nor the real world. Sometimes you get a failing grade, and all you can do is take it, and make the best of a bad situation. (Now-a-days, kids are being taught to sue, instead.)

I am reminded of my 'Ancient and Medieval Philosophy' class in college. I was taking it to satisfy one of my fine arts electives. Grading consisted of three components. One third of your grade was based on weekly quizzes, the second third on your mid-term thesis, and the third third on your final exam. I had a C to C- average for the quizzes, with which I was happy, considering how tough the course was. On my mid-term thesis*, however, I scored a FOURTEEN. (Yes, 14. Out of 100.) To say the least, I was pretty upset.

During my meeting with my professor, I was told that statistically, there was a very slim chance I could even pass the course. If I aced every quiz from there on out, aced the final, I could probably pass with a 60 which was a D-. Since it was too late to drop the class, and since he didn't offer any extra credit, my professor recommended that I devote my time to other classes.

I had to admit that it was profound advice. Instead of telling me to hang in there, and try to tough it out in a situation that was essentially hopeless, he taught me to recognize a failing situation for what it was, and make the best of it. In that case, making the best of it meant taking the F, and devoting my spare time to my other classes.

Sure, I may have failed his course, but the lesson he taught me was invaluable.

*By the way, the thesis gave us a partial script that was found on some tablet of unknown origin and unknown age, and told us to figure out who wrote it. The answer, which I never did figure out, was Alcmaeon.