Staff Editorial: No ‘Fs’ if ‘I’ is Trying

There will always be reminders of the harsh realities of life—pain, suffering and the possibility of failure. Or not. For some students, the failure (F) grade has been eliminated from the grading system and replaced, ironically, with letters lower in the alphabet: an I for incomplete or an H for held. Students at Potomac High in Virginia and public schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan, no longer have to worry about failing their classes.
This new policy is meant to encourage kids to learn the material rather than moving on after an F. Unlike an F grade, an I or H would allow students to retake the course and earn a new grade, replacing the I or H.
At first glance, this may seem great. In theory, failing students have a second chance, and what’s wrong with that? This policy would benefit students who struggle in class; children do learn at different paces, and a chance to work at their own pace could help them improve. There is also the psychological advantage of seeing an Incomplete rather than a Failure grade. The administrators advocating this plan insist that it would keep kids from being discouraged when they see that big, fat F on their last test. Proponents also hope that this change will encourage more students to learn and stay in school, and decrease drop-out rates. However, it’s reasonable to wonder just how effective this policy would be.
After all, taking away the possibility of failing could take away a student’s motivation to work. And, of course, not everyone who earns an F is truly struggling—there are the lazy kids who simply do not care. Students who really work should be able to earn at least a D; it’s all but impossible to try hard and still receive an F. It hardly seems fair, then, that a lazy student could fail a class, make it up, and get the same grade or better on their transcript as a hard-working one. This does not reward hard work, but makes taking the easy way out appealing. If the failing student does indeed have a bad work ethic, an extended deadline only seems to condone this. Allowing students to slide by with a bad work ethic will not prepare them for college, or life for that matter.
However, some school districts do have limitations that make the policy more feasible. Incompletes are used as placeholders but there are time limits, such as twelve weeks, for making up work. If the deadlines are not met, the student may still receive an F. Students who really care should show an improvement, while apathetic ones would keep failing—in essence, the practice would weed out the ones who truly try.
At Potomac High, an opposition group formed, called “Real World. Real Grades.” Many parents believe that their children should know the consequences seen in the world, which include failing. After all, high school should prepare you to be a functional adult, right?
The controversy and disagreement over the new policy caused the administration to repeal it. Perhaps we should take that as a sign before thinking about trying it out here at AHS; for now, failure is still an option.