🐴 Weekly Roundup: When Good Grades Hide Systemic Failure

If you enjoy this edition, forward this email to a friend! First time reading? Subscribe and learn more at OpenEd.co.

🎧 THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHT

THE GRADE ILLUSION

His transcript showed a 3.4 GPA—solidly in B+ territory. There was just one problem: he couldn't read a single word on it. He couldn't even spell his own name.

A recent court case from Tennessee has exposed a disturbing reality lurking within our education system. A student identified as "William A." graduated with what appeared to be solid academic credentials. Yet despite years of schooling and consistently good grades, William remained functionally illiterate.

Now he's suing the district for failing to provide the education he was legally entitled to receive, and the courts have ruled in his favor.

According to court documents, William, who has dyslexia, frequently used AI software to complete assignments. "To write a paper," the ruling states, "William would dictate his topic using speech-to-text software, paste it into ChatGPT, which would generate a paper, then run that through Grammarly." His teachers accepted these papers while apparently never addressing his inability to read.

The court determined that the school's "accommodations" didn't help William learn—they simply "did the work for him."

This isn't merely an isolated incident of one student falling through cracks. It exposes the façade of our entire grading system—where compliance and completed assignments often count more than actual learning.

THE BROKEN MEASUREMENT PROBLEM

"In a traditional academic model, we group students together usually by age and we shepherd them all together at the same pace," explains Sal Khan of Khan Academy. "We get a test. And on that test, maybe I get a 75%. I didn't know 25% of the material, even though we've identified those gaps, the whole class will then move on to the next subject."

Khan uses a powerful metaphor that exposes the absurdity of this approach:

"Imagine if we did other things in our life that way, say home building. We have two weeks. Do what you can. Inspector shows up in two weeks. It's a 75% great. That's a C+. Second floor, third floor. And all of a sudden while you're building the third floor, that whole structure collapses."

We don't build houses with 75% complete foundations. We don't fly planes with 75% complete safety checks. We don't perform surgery with 75% complete procedures.

Yet in education, we advance students with 75% understanding, every day, in every school. Then we wonder why learning seems so difficult for so many.

The alternative? Mastery learning—where time is variable but competency is fixed. Students work until they truly master the material, building solid foundations before advancing.

📊 TRENDS WE'RE WATCHING

Follow the Smart Money → "Many very high net worth individuals are shifting to homeschooling," reveals Robert Gamble in our latest podcast. They're not sending their kids to elite private schools anymore. Instead, they're becoming educational architects and customizing their kids' education.

Blue Collar Arbitrage → While universities push degrees of questionable ROI, the jobs that make modern civilization possible are facing catastrophic worker shortages. "For every five tradespeople who retire this year," Mike Rowe notes, "two will replace them." The result? Six-figure salaries for skilled trades while college graduates compete for oversaturated white-collar jobs.

Educational Exodus → Alternative education expert Kerry McDonald recently highlighted the unexpectedly large decline in public school enrollment: "We knew there would be a dip in enrollment due to birth rates, but that dip has been far deeper than expected because families are choosing alternatives." Nearly 6% of U.S. students now homeschool—matching public charter school attendance.

🔨 TOOLS OF THE WEEK

Mastery-Based Learning Resources → Tools that ensure your child truly masters content before moving forward:

• Khan Academy: Free, adaptive practice that ensures concepts are understood before advancement

• IXL Learning: Practice with a "SmartScore" system requiring consistent correct answers to achieve mastery

• ALEKS: AI-driven math and science system that creates personalized knowledge maps

• ST Math: Visual math program requiring 100% correctness to unlock new content

• Lexia: Adaptive reading programs specifically designed for struggling readers

SmartPath Navigator → This free AI-powered tool matches your child's unique learning profile with curriculum recommendations tailored to their needs. The platform works by collecting information about your child's learning style, interests, and goals, then generates personalized curriculum recommendations in minutes—revealing options many parents might never discover on their own.

openedhq

1,428 followers

View more on Instagram

Sign up free at SmartPath.school

IKEA Learning Station → Parents on Reddit are sharing their favorite IKEA hacks for home-based learning spaces:

• Kallax shelves: The backbone of your library/curricula organizer

• SMULA trays: Contain craft chaos and make projects portable

• MåLA Apron: Long-sleeve paint smocks for messy projects

• Råskog utility cart: Mobile learning stations that follow curious minds

What are we missing here? Drop a comment on Instagram.

The Work Ethic Scholarship Program → Mike Rowe is giving away $2.5 million in scholarships to people willing to work. The requirements are straightforward:

• Enroll in a program that teaches useful skills

• Sign the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, acknowledging that hard work matters

• Prove you're not allergic to effort

• Submit by April 17, 2025

Apply at mikeroweworks.org/scholarship

(MEME) OF THE WEEK

🤔 PARTING THOUGHT

CHAIRS AREN'T CURRICULUM

When a 5-year-old can't sit still in class, many schools diagnose the child. Perhaps we should diagnose the chair.

That’s all for this week!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

P.S. If you’d prefer to just receive the weekly edition, you can change your subscription settings here.