To the editor:

I hope every  parent in the Lawrence school district reads the Journal-World article “Schools phasing out letter grades” (Sept. 11, page 3A). It really doesn’t matter if the performance ratings are A, B, C, D, F or S, M, T, E. What does matter is at what level the student achieves. 

The new marks are:

S — successfully meets standards

M — making progress

T — targeted for growth

E — excels consistently.

The J-W article continues, “While ‘E’ is the highest rating, it sits at the bottom of the list because the district doesn’t want to foster the expectation that every student should get an ‘E.'” Ms. Kobler, director of curriculum and instruction, states that “S” is the goal.

That statement is absolutely phenomenal! Why wouldn’t you expect the student to excel? Granted, in the “politically correct world,” all students should make an “S,” but, in the real world, there are the “E’s” and the “T’s.” A baseball coach doesn’t say “swing the bat; don’t worry about hitting the ball.” Nor does a basketball coach say “hit the backboard; don’t worry about making a basket.” Coaches expect their players to strive for an “E,” not an “S.” A school district shouldn’t say “make an ‘S’; don’t worry about making an ‘E.'”

It is no wonder that many parents are choosing private schools!