San Francisco has reaffirmed its status as the Petri dish for batshit-crazy public policy — a dystopian science fair where failed experiments are coddled, not corrected. The latest? A jaw-dropping proposal by the city's school district is called Grading for Equity. Sounds great, right? But in classic San Francisco style, the program name is a sick joke. What "equity" is served by ensuring that students are permitted to fail upward?
The now-tabled proposal would have eliminated grading on homework, attendance, and even participation. Students could retake tests as often as they wished, and a mark as low as 41% would have qualified for a C. You read that right — fewer than half correct, and you pass. This wasn't a case of providing struggling students with a boost. It was a matter of dragging everyone else down to the lowest common denominator.
Revealed earlier this week, the policy was placed on hold yesterday after public outcry. SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne stated that the district would "pause implementation" after receiving criticism from parents, Bay Area media, and elected officials, including Rep. Ro Khanna and Mayor Daniel Lurie. Translation: they got caught and are now doing damage control.
Congressman Kevin Kiley pulled no punches, tweeting on X:
"San Francisco has come up with a genius solution to its underperforming schools. Students won't fail. Under the 'Grading for Equity' policy, Fs are now Cs; Bs are now As; homework and tests aren't graded; truancy isn't punished. Problem solved."
And you wonder why the school choice and charter school movement is growing rapidly. Parents are desperate for an escape hatch — for any alternative that doesn't turn mediocrity into a moral imperative. But don't expect any opposition from the California Teachers Association. This powerful union, which spends millions to elect pliable school board members, thrives under policies that reduce teacher accountability and undermine standards. This scheme is made to order for them.
Let's get real — this plan was not about equity. It was about surrender. It's the reflection of a culture that has completely given up on the notion of bringing children up to their level. No, we redefine success until failure seems like progress. And this nonsense was only met with outrage once it became public. Where were the sensible adults in the room as this was being drafted?
If regular people — parents, taxpayers, anyone with skin in the game — don't get together and reclaim their schools, then we deserve what we get. This is what happens when fringe ideologues are given free rein: an educational policy that reads like satire, promoted with a straight face.
San Francisco isn't just losing students. It's losing its mind. And the next generation is paying the price.
