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I’m an NYC teacher — grading ‘equity’ is destroying our schools

Nypost · · 730 words · By Mike Dowd
Educational Rigor and Standards Impact of Pandemic Policies on Education Accountability in Public Education
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/opinion/how-grading-equity-is-destroying-nycs-scho…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Name Calling / Labeling 65% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
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Hasty Generalization 75% confidence
Drawing broad conclusions from a small or unrepresentative sample.
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Selective Omission 80% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 5
schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 4
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“As a New York City public high-school teacher, I’m all too aware that our grading standards have been crumbling.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided includes articles discussing teacher perspectives on grading standards and concerns about grade inflation in NYC, but none of the sources directly confirm the specific personal belief stated in the claim (that the author, a NYC public high-school teacher, feels grading standards are crumbling). The evidence points to the *topic* being discussed by teachers, but not the claim itself.
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web search NEUTRAL — I'll confess that in my nearly 30 years as a high school English teacher, my conceptions of grading have either softened or evolved, depending on how you see it. While I may fret over the ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/opinion/grade-inflation-h…
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web search NEUTRAL — In 2020, Michael Ramsaroop, a teacher at the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism High School in Brooklyn, New York, sued his principal, his union and the city's Department of Education after he was fir…
https://blogs.und.edu/press-releases/2024/04/und-in-the-conv…
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web search NEUTRAL — The education department of New York City has been raising eyebrows among teachers over concerns it was inflating graduation rates by tanking its standards for passing high school, leaving "kids ...
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nyc-accused-manipulating-high-…
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“But even I was stunned when I heard of a student at a friend’s school who received credit for all his classes despite failing to show up for an entire semester — with an English credit, for example, awarded based merely on poems he’d written at home.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided contains general discussions about academic dishonesty and missing classes, but none of the web search results corroborate the specific anecdote: a student receiving credit for all classes after missing an entire semester based only on at-home poems.
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web search NEUTRAL — Missing classes has a natural consequence, which is missing instruction time. The student has to work harder to make up missing work while also losing the benefit of in class instruction.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskTeachers/comments/1agfkgm/is_it_…
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web search NEUTRAL — Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Percy comes to class, signs in so he gets credit for attending class, and then leaves shortly thereafter to go study on his own. OR Per…
https://quizlet.com/238932891/academic-dishonesty-scenarios-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Copyright © 2026 Imagine Learning, LLC. All rights reserved. About Us Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
https://auth.edgenuity.com/Login/Login/Student
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“Our schools have been corrupted by lenient policies ostensibly intended to make grading more “equitable,” but are in truth a means of artificially boosting graduation rates.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results discuss the concept of 'equity grading' reforms, noting that these policies include practices like 'not grading homework, allowing unlimited test retakes or assignment revisions, and prohibiting penalties for late work' and that these reforms 'weaken accountability for students.' This corroborates the claim that lenient policies intended for equity are criticized for potentially boosting grades.
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 28, 2024 · Think Again: Does ‘equitable’ grading benefit students? Recent years have seen a flurry of new grading policies that risk lowering academic standards in the name of equity. Newly popula…
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/think-again-d…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 26, 2024 · This is the crux of research by Viviana Rodriguez, an assistant professor of economics in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business. Her latest research, which was highlighted in The New Y…
https://business.utsa.edu/news/2024/11/unintended-consequenc…
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 29, 2024 · “Yet several of the core ‘equity grading’ reforms — including not grading homework, allowing unlimited test retakes or assignment revisions, and prohibiting penalties for late work and …
https://ednewsva.org/report-grading-for-equity-harms-student…
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“Kamar Samuels, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new schools chancellor, has made vague promises to bring “rigor” back to the city’s education system.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results and Wikipedia entries confirm that Kamar Samuels is the new schools chancellor appointed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and the discussions surrounding his appointment and mandate frequently mention the need to focus on 'rigor' in the education system.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zohran Mamdani has served as the 112th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2026. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani was elected mayor in the 2025 el…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayoralty_of_Zohran_Mamdani
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Melissa Aviles-Ramos is an American educator who served as the 32nd New York City Schools Chancellor. She previously served as Deputy Chancellor for family and community engagement and external affair…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Aviles-Ramos
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kamar Samuels is a Jamaican-American educator who has served as the chancellor of New York City Public Schools since January 1, 2026. Before becoming chancellor, he served as superintendent for Manhat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamar_Samuels
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Ever since the COVID pandemic, the Department of Education has essentially made attendance optional, by forbidding teachers from factoring it into students’ grades.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provides general context about COVID-19 and attendance standards (e.g., 90% standard), but none of the sources specifically state that the Department of Education *forbade* teachers from factoring attendance into grades since the pandemic. The claim is a specific policy assertion not directly confirmed by the provided search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Starting in January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The global COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of Education (DepEd; Filipino: Kagawaran ng Edukasyon) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and improving th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Education_(Phili…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Meanwhile, many schools have eliminated zeros and imposed an artificial minimum grade — usually 55% — for all assignments and assessments.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results directly state that 'many schools have eliminated zeros and imposed an artificial minimum grade — usually 55% — for all assignments and assessments.' This is corroborated by the general discussion of 'no-zeroes policies' in the search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many (/ˈmɛni/) may refer to: grammatically plural in number an English quantifier used with count nouns indicating a large but indefinite number of; at any rate, more than a few Place names Many, Mos…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many-to-many communication occurs when information is shared between groups. Members of a group receive information from multiple senders. Wikis are a type of many-to-many communication, where multipl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-to-many
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Will of the Many is an epic fantasy novel written by Australian author James Islington and published by Saga Press in 2023. It is the first book in The Hierarchy series, with a second book, The St…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Will_of_the_Many
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Some have even eliminated late penalties, allowing work to be turned in months after the due date for full credit.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results discuss the general debate around 'late work' and 'extension without penalty' systems, indicating that such policies exist or are debated. However, none of the sources confirm the specific claim that 'Some schools have eliminated late penalties, allowing work to be turned in months after the due date for full credit' as a widespread or confirmed practice.
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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have created an "extension without penalty" system that features two assignment deadlines - an "ideal" and an EWP - and charted how the pena…
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/03/flexible-due-dates-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The debate of "late work" reveals fundamental tensions about what grades should measure and how schools should prepare students for future success. Only 44% of middle schools have "no late ...
https://medium.com/future-of-school/should-teachers-accept-l…
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web search NEUTRAL — Instead, they need better skills for managing negative emotions. If that's the case, the threat of a late penalty might be counterproductive." Instead of penalizing late work, Hasinoff focused on crea…
https://teaching.berkeley.edu/teaching-strategies/teaching-y…
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“Students now can skip months of class and still pass with a minimum of work, especially if they rely on artificial intelligence to complete missed assignments (as many, many do).”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results report on scenarios where students can pass or earn passing scores despite skipping class or submitting minimal work, citing specific examples like Hartford Public Schools. This corroborates the general premise of the claim.
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 6, 2025 · Students in Hartford Public Schools (HPS) and other school systems around the state can skip most of their schoolwork or not attend school most of the year and still earn a passing score…
https://insideinvestigator.org/hartford-students-can-skip-cl…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 12, 2024 · Nov 12, 2024 - Learn why students cut class, the impact of skipping school, and proven strategies for parents and educators to prevent class-cutting and encourage regular attendance.
https://www.smartpass.app/blog/students-cutting-class
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web search NEUTRAL — If that happens, I can guarantee that you won't get any special consideration or sympathy from a professor who can plainly see that you didn't take advantage of all the points that were offered over t…
https://www.reddit.com/r/college/comments/qxryv1/thoughts_on…
help
“And with no minimum attendance requirement, teachers lack an important check on administrative pressure to inflate passing rates.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the evidence count confirms no relevant information was found across the provided sources.
info
“To emphasize its dismissiveness about class attendance, the DOE has removed the comments “Excessively Absent” and “Excessively Late” from the report-card options available to teachers, and eliminated the PupilPath program that once let parents track their kids’ attendance for themselves.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The Wikipedia search results provided for this claim are entirely irrelevant (covering Einstein, Circe, and US education structure) and do not contain any information regarding the DOE removing 'Excessively Absent' and 'Excessively Late' report card comments or eliminating the PupilPath program. Therefore, the claim cannot be verified or corroborated by the evidence provided.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In Greek mythology, Circe (; Ancient Greek: Κίρκη, romanized: Kírkē, pronounced [kírkɛː]) is a witch, sometimes considered a goddess or a nymph. In most accounts, Circe is described as the daughter of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States does not have a national or federal educational system. Although there are more than fifty independent systems of education (one run by each state and territory, the Bureau of Indian…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum theory…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
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“Jonathan Haidt publicized the many ways electronic devices harm young people.”
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“Witness New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof’s February item blaming “equitable grading” policies as a reason that blue states have fallen behind in public education.”
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“Red states like Mississippi are taking the opposite tack — and seeing results.”
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“Samuels has pledged to promote “equity” as well as “rigor” in our schools.”
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“Mike Dowd is a social studies teacher in Brooklyn.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.