Mock Letters

Parent:

Dear School,

After reading the article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune on new grading systems I am a bit concerned. I am worried because your school also uses a new form of grading. My child is supposed to be a new first grade student at your school district this upcoming fall, but, I don’t believe in or understand all this new grading stuff. Parents I have spoken to say it’s hard to understand and hasn’t benefited their children. Why get rid of letter grading (A, B, C, D, F) when it has always worked? Shouldn’t grades be given to students in a way that they (students) and parents could understand it? I am a bit worried about all of this and I don’t want to commit my child to a school without first understanding its grading policies. Can you please get back to me with an explanation? It would be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Anonymous


Principal:

Dear Anonymous,
I am glad to hear you are concerned and I am here to help. We switched from letter grading to a new grading system to fulfill state standard requirements. The new grading provides our students and parents with feedback on what the students do/don’t understand in the classroom. Letter grading was causing too many students to be in “competition” with each other rather than worrying about their own academic skills. Our school provides each grade with an explanation that coincides with a specific classroom skill. This form of grading does a better job assessing a child's needs than does a letter grade. I hope this helped but please feel free to contact me at (---) ---/---- if you have any more questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Principal