10/26 Readers write

Grade inflation won’t motivate students to improve

Bill Torpy’s opinion column raised extremely important points about our school system. Grade inflation policies do no one any favors. Mediocre education fails to prepare maturing children’s functional abilities while they’re becoming adults. Calling everyone “special” means no one is special -- “participation trophies” notwithstanding.

There are extremely valid reasons to allow children to feel unsatisfied with being mediocre. Motivation to improve is the first factor in bringing improvement. Cheated “grades” do not help anyone; they only eventually bring the harms of underdevelopment when children’s best development times have expired. This is an imposed disability, through neglecting needed encouragement through admonishment during children’s early life.

Pain (including psychological) is a healthy motivator toward avoiding future harm. “Dumbing down” children’s average education to their lowest common denominator is harmful and not helpful to those children.

Standardized testing is the more truthful indicator of mental preparedness. Do not deny your children their need to be actually educated before their best opportunities fade from time lost.

TOM STREETS, ATLANTA

Problems in education start at home

Regarding the Oct. 23 Bill Torpy column, “Ga. schools get `A’ in mediocrity,” mediocrity and lower is the new standard in schools.

It’s not the teachers’ and administrators’ fault. The problem, as always, starts at home. Youngsters from households that are not taught to read and how to behave are the problem.

No one pays much attention to the old folks, but most could read and knew their multiplication tables before entering the 1st grade. Some live in Buckhead.

The Atlanta mayor wants more houses built in Buckhead for the middle class. As it is, most of today’s high school and college students will never be in the middle class. Many will be in gangs or mental institutions and jails.

It starts at home. Can’t blame it on COVID or climate change. Or Trump.