This conversation delves into the biases inherent in traditional grading systems and their disproportionate impact on marginalized students. The hosts discuss the need for transforming grading practices to promote equity in education, emphasizing the importance of understanding the moral imperative behind these changes. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by teachers in adapting to new grading philosophies and the potential for these changes to bring joy back into teaching.

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Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms (Corwin)

Joe Feldman has worked in education for over 20 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities nationwide to improve grading and assessment practices. His organization has partnered with the National Education Association as well as the American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Independent Schools, and Stanford University’s Challenge Success, and Joe leads the Equitable Grading Project (gradingforequity.org),
which researches the impact of improved grading on students and their teachers. He has presented at numerous education conferences, including the California School Boards Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and has been interviewed by many local and national media outlets, including CNN and the Los Angeles Times. His writings have been published in Education Week, Kappan, Education Leadership, District Administrator, and Black Press USA, and his book, Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms (Corwin) was first published in 2018, has just been published in its second edition.

Liz Garden is currently the principal of the Henry P Clough Elementary School in Mendon, MA. She is the past President of MSAA. She is an Editorial Advisor for Principal Magazine and an NAESP Fellow for the Center for Innovative Leadership. She’s married to Dave, her musician husband and is mom to Emerson and Cayce.