Fairfax taught teachers to ignore objections to ‘equity grading’.

Virginia Teachers Required to Undergo Equity Grading Training

Teachers in Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools were required to equity grading‘.”>undergo professional development training on equity grading that includes a slideshow on responding to people who oppose equity initiatives. The syllabus of the training and a slideshow were obtained by parent activist organization Parents Defending Education and shared with the Washington Examiner, providing details into how the northern Virginia school district has pushed its teachers to implement equity grading standards.

Grading for Equity

The syllabus for the professional development program Grading for Equity says it was designed to “support educators in understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of implementing equitable grading practices” and required teachers to read the book Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. A source within FCPS who was granted anonymity to speak candidly told the Washington Examiner that teachers were required to read Feldman’s book and discuss it during monthly faculty meetings.

The Washington Examiner reported last year on efforts at Langley High School and other Fairfax County Public Schools to implement equity grading, a practice of grading that involves a multifaceted approach to lower the chances of a student failing. Tenets of equity grading include the elimination of “0” grades through the implementation of a 50% minimum grade on all assignments, the removal of deadlines, and the opportunity to redo assignments.

Navigating Resistance

The course syllabus contains several links to resources, including reading assignments, TED talks, and podcasts about the idea of eliminating grading or changing the current grading system. Included in those resources is a slideshow on “Navigating Resistance” to equity programs that included instructions on how to respond to people who are critical of equity initiatives in different scenarios.

One of the slides describes a person who “struggle[s] to differentiate between equity and equality” and how this person believes “fair is equal.” The slide says that to respond to this, one must “explicitly teach the difference between equality and equity” because the individual may not be familiar with it. The slide also recommends using other people in the room to “dilute the Fairness-Seeker’s voice.”

For another scenario, the slideshow describes the “Minimizer,” who may say things like “I don’t see color” or that the world is inherently unfair. The slide says such people “nee[d] expanded perspective” and that “case studies, story telling, testimony, [and] videos can be particularly influential in shifting the Minimizer.”

Concerns

Alex Nester, an investigative fellow at Parents Defending Education, told the Washington Examiner that a school district “providing a training manual to address ‘resistance,’ either from teachers or parents, is particularly concerning.” Fairfax County Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.

“Equitable grading hurts the very kids its proponents say they want to help,” Nester said. “Kids who come from low-income families benefit most from fair systems based on merit and achievement. Equitable grading removes this rung in the ladder to success and opportunity for those kids. It sets the bar low and disincentivizes hard work. It also makes it harder for Fairfax students to compete with students from other districts that base grading off of student performance.”