Pelath on “A-to-F” schools study: the problem is with the system

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City issued the following statement in reaction to the results of a study of the state’s A to F grading system that was commissioned by Republican leaders in the Indiana General Assembly:

“Those guys tried their best. But it’s going to be hard to get the stench off the A-F system. (Former Superintendent of Public Instruction) Tony Bennett let a skunk spray all over it.

“The fact is people will never fully trust grades doled out by politicians for political purposes. The grades are for rewarding friends and punishing the weak. That’s why some communities in Indiana are pledging to ignore them altogether.

“Other investigations are continuing. When they’re all done and we add them up, maybe we’ll slow down on the experiments and remind ourselves that education is about the kids, not the powerful. There isn’t anything from the episode that will help make a child score better on a math test.”