To the Editor:
As the equity-grading debate between teachers and school districts heats up, as mentioned in the Aug. 20, 2025, article, “Here’s What Teachers Really Think About Equitable Grading Policies,” student voices are missing from the conversation despite belonging to the people most impacted. I would like to offer a firsthand perspective on the issue.
Two years ago, my school district rolled out new equity-grading policies that mirror the ones described in the article. Unfortunately, while intended to help at-risk students graduate and succeed, the policy produced adverse effects for both teachers and peers at my school. One issue frustrating the entire process for my school was uneven rollout. Some challenging classes, like Advanced Placement World History, switched to a new grading system, while others, such as Honors Chemistry, did not. Some teachers even found ways to circumvent the unlimited retakes policy by making it so hard that students effectively only had one chance.
Class participation also decreased. I witnessed many of my peers procrastinate. They’d come to class unprepared, likely thinking, “If I could complete this assignment later for full credit, why bother doing it now?” As a result, teachers wasted precious instruction time reviewing content or giving students time to complete past-due homework. When my peers finally submitted their work at the end of the unit, teachers were overburdened and forced to grade many assignments at the last minute.
Poor academic achievement isn’t about grading. It’s about access to resources. Schools should instead invest in tutoring programs, enrichment classes, and other initiatives to alleviate the problem, not lower the bar for “success.”
Aayush Gandhi
Student
Dublin, Calif.
