Fairfax County's six-point grading scale discriminates against minority students. He has completed his own analysis of the Fairfax County Public Schools Investigation of the Grading Policy and has determined that it shows all Fairfax County students are disadvantaged by the tougher grading policy, but that lower-grade students are hurt the most. Gaziano says because Black and Hispanic students often make up a large section of that group, the grading scale discriminates against them.
[paraphrasing from this article]
According to this outstanding logic, because black and hispanic students get lower grades, and the grading scale as it is hurts everyone (supposedly), the grading issue is actually a civil rights issue. Surely MLK is turning in his grave. A civil rights issue? Calling this a civil rights issue is insulting to people who have legit civil rights claims, say people who can't marry the person they love or those who marched in the south when they couldn't eat where they pleased or sit where they wanted. No, no this is not a civil rights issue, Mr. Gaziano, this is an issue of whiny parents and underperforming minority students.
The whiny parents are those who can't stand to see their child fail at anything and look for outside reasons for their children's shortcomings. I'm sorry your son didn't get an A in Biology class, Mrs. So-and-so, maybe he should have studied better. Oh, he didn't get that scholarship? Well thats what makes scholarships so valuable - they are not easy to get! Suck it up.
As for making excuses for the minorities? I'm sorry, but thats the most insulting thing I have ever heard. Fairfax County Public Schools are some of the best in the COUNTRY, with resources and a budget that most counties DREAM of. There is opportunity to succeed abound. I know, I went to FCPS schools from 7th to 12th grade. And yes, despite Jeff's claims, I am an hispanic student. I did well enough to get into Thomas Jefferson, and then did well enough there to get into UVa. My parents never graduated from college and worked constantly while I was going through the school system, so its not like I was getting homework help or any outside encouragement besides what responsible parents provide. These kids don't need excuses, they need the kick in the ass and the harsh dose of reality that the six-point system provides.
The whiny parents and the excuse-makers need to calm down and shut up. Their points are ridiculous and wasteful, as the FCPS board and superintendent have much more to worry about in light of the budget shortfalls. Six-points, touchdown, ftw.
