Zero-Free Zone – Public Schools to award half-credit for cheating

Children of Tomorrow

In a bold move to prepare your child for a great career as a government employee, one local Tucson Arizona school has outlawed the dreaded “zero”.

A new grading policy at Pueblo Magnet High School will award students who cheat a 50 on their assignments, rather than a zero, a Friday email from the school’s principal said.

“We will not be using zeros for any purpose,” said the email from Principal Vivi Watt, which described the grading scale as “a 50 point scale, rather than a 100 point scale (sic).”

Most Pueblo teachers contacted about the “no-zero” policy would not comment, citing a fear of retaliation by administrators, but one expressed concern about the change.

“It’s a policy that’s not thought out very well,” said the teacher, who would only speak conditioned on anonymity.

“It makes it appear to the public that we at Pueblo have no standards as teachers, and we actually do,” the instructor said in an afternoon interview, saying the policy will inflate grades and create “inequity from one school to another.”

Honestly, I don’t even know what they’re talking about here..  In some twisted liberal universe, these classroom over-achievers are having their grades magically inflated.  Note:  ["Over-achievers", in the public-school system could be catagorized as anyone with a C- or better], And these hyper-inflated grades are obviously punishing the “99%’ers” of the classroom.

A presentation on the grading scale provided to teachers by Assistant Principal Kathi Shaw said the usual practice of grading scores of 0-59 as an F has an “undue, deflationary effect.”  Zeroes “work against everyone by diminishing hope,” the PowerPoint presentation said.

Yes, and grades are bad for children and other living things.  Actually the real “diminished hope” will arrive years later when our purposely poorly-trained youth find themselves incapable of finding a meaningful job.  And when they do find gainful employment, their poorly developed sense of “self-esteem” will leave them exposed to being emotionally damaged by to the “horrors” of the “mean-old-boss”, who actually expects them to accomplish something.

Here comes another new disease, P.H.S.T.S.D.  Also known as Post High School Traumatic Stress Disorder.

But not everyone has a problem with the bar being set even lower.  Much to everyone’s surprise, the local Teachers Union is in favor of Project Dumb and Dumber.

Teachers at the school told TucsonSentinel.com they are not allowed to speak to the media without the principal’s permission, and said they feared reprisals even if they were to comment anonymously.

According to the source at Pueblo, Watt has questioned teachers in an effort to learn who tipped the Sentinel to the grade-scale change.

The teachers’ union’s Banales said the move to change the school’s grading policies originated at the district level, and is “very much supported by the Pueblo leadership.”

She said she wasn’t surprised that an administrator would try to learn who had spoken to the press.

Principals have power to transfer or fire teachers who speak out. Staff must “toe the party line,” she said.

Still think your local Teachers Union is all about “the children”?  Think again buckaroo.  Stupid is as stupid does. And that’s exactly what they are teaching your kids to become, dumb and even dumber.

Hat-tip to Jon Justice