F's Will Not Cut It

F’s Will Not Cut It

In “What Our Education System Needs is More F’s”, Carl Singleton suggests that our education system will be improved by failing more students. He argues that for many years teachers have been passing students who don’t deserve to pass to cover the lack of adequate instruction. He claims that an increase in the number of F’s will eliminate illiterate graduates from high school. Therefore, students who to go to college will be able to read and write at a college level. He also mentioned that failing grades would pull the parents’ attention to their children’s education, and makes the school boards and principals aware of the cracks and pit falls of the American education system.

Singleton’s arguments imply that the education system is getting worse because students are graduating with lower quality knowledge. Illiterate high school graduates, poor teaching, and weakly prepared college students are all the results of twenty years of grade inflation in our schools.

Despite the narrow benefits, giving stricter grades such as Fs to students is a very flawed administrative policy. “What Our Education System Needs is More F’s” explains a way to solve the problems of American education, but the solution would actually have a negative effect on education. If teachers gave students more F’s, it would discourage students and cause them to lose confidence. The student may look at achieving a better grade as unattainable, which could in turn cause the student to give up on doing their best in school. Also, raising academic standards to unreasonable expectations would cause many students to fall behind because all students learn at different speeds and levels. One suggestion in a 2009 article written by William Buskist and Christopher Howard, states that “if students seem to be struggling with understanding particular course content, then the obvious action plan is for the teacher to invite students to meet on a regular basis to prepare for future assessments. These meetings may be one-on-one or in small groups or some combination of them.” Raising the standards in classrooms would not benefit the students at a lower developmental stage or students with learning disabilities.

Singleton also fails to consider such factors as different student learning styles. He has failed to recognize that there are millions of students who try their hardest in the classes they take, yet still struggle with the material, despite the fact that they seek help. This does not deserve a failing grade. Not only is it not fair to the students, but it’s sending a negative message. Despite the fact of the amount of effort and work they put into their studies, if they don't master the material, they will receive an F anyways, and their efforts and time would have been for nothing.

Singleton comes off as he doesn’t care if students are trying their best, or putting in the time they should be whether it’s studying or seeking help through a professor. If they do not master the material 100 percent, then they don’t deserve to pass, which is complete absurdity. No one is perfect, and not everyone is able to get a 100 on everything they do in every subject they are taking. William Buskist and Christopher Howard explain in their article that “helping failing students is a two-step process. First, we must identify these students, and second, we must figure out what we can do to help them in their particular situation.” Many people struggle and it may take longer for some to comprehend something in their classes than it does for others. However, if they are trying their hardest, they deserve a passing grade just as much as those who pick up the material quicker. Do students who can learn and can pass in other circumstances under other supervision and in a classroom with more attentive, better prepared, and more experienced teaching deserve F’s? Simply stated, Singleton's proposal itself fails to recognize the complexities of students' varying needs, contexts, and abilities which factor in to the completion of every learning activity and the complex effects that the stigma of failure can have on the range of student personalities that fill our classrooms.

A far much worse