Our New Incomplete Kids

Just when you think that we can't coddle our children anymore, we've got this one to chew on. Schools are considering doing away with the traditional "F" for a failing grade. Apparently, an F is just too traumatizing for our youngster's. So, in today's politically correct society, we'll just give them an "I" (for incomplete). Maybe we can have the "incomplete kids" wash the blackboard after school so they can become whole again?

Since we're talking about the kid's feelings here, what if they totally misinterpret the meaning of the "I". After all, they're incomplete, right? What if they confuse the "I" to mean imbecile or incompetent? My God, what if they think it means idiot!

Seriously, what the hell is happening to our society? Are the kids really going to have any chance if we don't teach them the consequences of their actions? What's the point of even sending them to school anymore? Are they really learning anything???

I was recently talking to a Baltimore City school teacher. She told me that she gave several of her students failing grades (how dare she!) on their latest report cards. Guess what happened next. The teacher's superior told her that F's just aren't acceptable. She "should reevaluate the students because they need to pass". Are you freggin' kidding me? So basically, the lazy, undisciplined kid will pass just like the kid who busts his ass and studies every night. (I think this would qualify as a "putting lipstick on a pig" moment.)

It's an extremely competitive world out there. Our kids aren't going to have any chance of succeeding if we don't take the training wheels off. We need to teach them that failures will sometimes happen in their lives. But it doesn't mean that they can't overcome those failures and succeed.  If they are allowed to learn from their mistakes, they will be less likely to repeat them. I know I'm just stating the obvious. But many in our liberal minded society just don't get it. We need to stop dumbing down our kids!

So, will giving a student an "F" really make him/her feel less than adequate? I would hope so. If they feel bad about it, that tells me that there's still some hope for them. Like Whitney Houston once said, I believe the children are the future. But if we don't teach them well, how will they ever be able to lead the way?

KW