At the parent-teacher meeting yesterday, Klara’s teacher gave me two papers. One listed Klara’s reading grade for the first term as B+. The other said that, based on the results of standardized testing, she reads better than 100% of fifth-graders in the district.
The teacher explained that the mismatch between the skill and the grade happened because Klara didn’t hand in some assignments when we were away.
I think it’s wonderful that the school doesn’t do grade inflation. I’m very heartened by the rigorous procedures. This rational form of gladness, however, did not preclude me from telling the teacher that “yes, we’ve been away. To spend some time with my dying mother. Who then died. But at least we got to spend some time with her before she died. Which is why Klara didn’t hand in those assignments. I thought it was very important that she got to hold her dying grandmother’s hand right before she died, you know?”
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