As teachers and students prepare to start the 2020-21 school year with distance learning, the recent decision by the school board to keep traditional grading is unreasonable considering nothing else will be staying the same. These are unprecedented times, and adjustments need to be made accordingly.

The traditional grading system has brought students stress and anxiety for years. The stress to get A’s and B’s in school is overwhelming enough on its own, but in the midst of a pandemic, this pressure is too much for students to handle.

The school board’s decision to keep the traditional grading system was made, despite implementing pass-fail last year during distance learning. This system allowed students to have less anxiety about not being able to keep grades up while trying to learn at home, which is far more difficult than learning in school. 

While there may be concern for the students who feel they can ignore and not do their work in a pass-fail system, it would actually benefit those who do not have an ideal situation at home to learn and complete all of their work. This would help students not fall behind if they cannot complete an assignment or two. This also applies to those who have to provide income for their families and work. Living in a pandemic is stressful enough, and students don’t need the added pressure of completing every single assignment on time. 

Another concern is that students don’t get the chance to raise their GPA. However, with pass-fail grading, students are still able to view their percentages for each class, which they can show colleges or potential employers. 

In these times of tragedy and fear, it is hard for anyone to continue with their normal lives, especially students. Although the workload has been reduced, it is still difficult for a lot of students to focus on their work because of boredom from isolation and lack of interaction with teachers, not to mention other responsibilities such as jobs. Because of this, the work students turn in could be of lower quality than what they usually turn in. Students will only be able to keep up with school if the pass-fail system continues.