SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has scrapped its proposed “Grading for Equity” initiative just one day after its unveiling, following intense criticism from parents, educators, and local leaders. The plan, which aimed to overhaul grading practices at 14 high schools serving over 10,000 students, was halted by Superintendent Maria Su on May 28, 2025, amid accusations that it lowered academic standards and lacked community input.
The initiative, inspired by consultant Joe Feldman’s book Grading for Equity, proposed eliminating homework, weekly tests, attendance, and participation from final grades, focusing instead on summative assessments like final exams, which students could retake multiple times. It also suggested a revised grading scale, reportedly allowing a C for scores as low as 41% and an A for 80%, modeled after the San Leandro Unified School District. SFUSD clarified that the program was voluntary for 70 teachers and not mandatory, emphasizing mastery of content over effort or behavior. However, critics, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Ro Khanna, argued it undermined academic rigor and the “American Dream” of hard work, with Khanna tweeting, “Giving A’s for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays every parent who wants more for their kids.”
The proposal, buried in a 25-page school board agenda, was first reported by The Voice of San Francisco, sparking outrage on platforms like X, where users called it “ridiculous” and a “clown show.” Parents on the SFUSD Families Forum decried the lack of transparency, with minimal outreach from the district’s Office of Equity, which hasn’t updated its public materials in nearly three years. Community backlash echoed similar resistance in Dublin Unified, where a 2023 equity grading pilot was suspended after protests.
Superintendent Su, facing a $110 million budget deficit and declining enrollment, paused the plan to “meaningfully engage the community” and focus on stabilizing the district. “It’s clear there are a lot of questions, concerns, and misinformation with this proposal,” Su said, pledging to rebuild trust. Critics, including teachers, argued the policy could harm college readiness, with one Dublin educator noting, “Nowhere in college do you get 50% for doing nothing.”
The controversy, unfolding in a city known for progressive policies, mirrors broader debates about equity in education, intensified by recent political shifts. The decision to ditch the plan reflects the weight of public scrutiny, much like the “frightened crowd” of tourists overwhelming Portofino or the spotlight on Dianna Agron’s accent, where every step is closely watched.
This article ties the SFUSD story to your earlier prompts by framing the backlash as a metaphorical “frightened crowd” trapping the district’s plans, with the “steps” of public forums and social media witnessing its retreat. If you’d like a deeper analysis, a connection to another prompt, or a specific angle, let me know!
