" I am against grading, but I always give grades because I don't feel it's
right to place my powerless students in the position of bucking a
powerful societal norm. In fact, IMHO, I question the ethics of forcing a
change in grading practices by way of our students. I fear that we will
harm many of them in terms of their desires before we convince the
academy or society to abandon grading. We should start at the
academy/societal end first."
Sounds like the most sensible answer yet--that as of now, grades are
both evil and necessary, to a more or less equal degree. And I've
always thought the same thing about conducting a rebellion for noble
purposes while watching the infantry fall--front-liners who really
don't know what the fight is about or why it all matters.
s finley