Controversial changes to your child's grading system are moving forward. The Oklahoma State House on Thursday passed a new A-F grading system.
The State Board of Education is on board, but critics say it institutionalizes racism.
“Let's not make ourselves feel better by grade inflation. Let's give the kid the chance tosucceed and climb that mountain,” Rep. Scott Inman said.
House minority leader Inman was one of 34 representatives who voted “No” on House Joint Resolution 1028.
A student's conomic disadvantagesDisabilitiesIs he or she learning English?Is the student a minority?
“I'm at a loss quite honestly. Why this body would let this vote sail through as it did in 1907 makes no sense,” Rep. Regina Goodwin said.
House Democrats called the resolution “institutional racism” and said the new system simply manipulates the grading scale and does little to address proficiency.
“We want to make sure that the system we're putting forth helps close those gaps we're going to find kids where they're at,” said Rep. Michael Rogers, the bill’s author.
Rogers said there's still language that needs to be worked out. But he said the current A-F system is broken.
Even after the heated debate on the House floor, the bill passed 57 to 34.