Sunshine
5d ago
I think you mean two different things by "grade inflation". On one hand, grade inflation could mean that a worse performance is given the same grade, in the same way that inflation causes the value of currency/grades to decline. On the other hand, grade inflation could mean that everyone is given higher grades, in the same way that inflation causes an increase in the overall supply of currency/grades.
Curving allows an entire class to get worse over time without their grades going down, so it causes the first kind of grade inflation. Curving also prevents a class from all getting A's, so it prevents the second kind of grade inflation.
Sunshine
5d ago
The TA was not trying to apply consistent academic standards to everyone. The TA was punished for failing to apply consistent academic standards to everyone!
Sunshine
6d ago
My guess is that the TA didn't follow the rubric they were given. If they were specifically instructed to, for example, only give a score of 0 if the student fails to submit any work at all, that would explain why they're being disciplined.
Sunshine
13d ago
I joined a robotics competition when I was a kid, and they were in the process of converting it into the exact same boring social studies busywork you describe. In the time I was there, the robotics part of the robotics competition was reduced from 50% of your score to a piddling 25% of your score, with the other parts being 25% for "sportsmanship" and 50% for writing a stupid essay about environmentalism.
Even as a little kid it was obvious to me that the judges didn't like that whoever had the best robot would just win on the merit of their skills, leaving the judges with no power. Better to have a system where 75% of your score is decided by judge fiat. That way they can decide who wins based on who they like the most without the vulgarity of mere skill getting in the way.
I don't think this is a scouting thing, I think this is an everything thing. It mirrors the general trend of abolishing any scale that cannot have a thumb put on it. These are the same people who want to abolish standardized testing and replace it with personal essays and diversity statements. The point is to abolish everything objective and replace it with subjectivity, thereby concentrating more power in the hands of authority.
Fun fact, the proper translation of the Sixth Commandment is "thou shalt not murder," not "thou shalt not kill." As in, thou shalt not kill anyone outside the accepted bounds of the legal system or war.
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