'Honestly' grading a kid is tricky, especially because, as you mentioned, a teacher's ethics (or lack thereof) may skew things. I'm not sure if it's the exact w

'Honestly' grading a kid is tricky, especially because, as you mentioned, a teacher's ethics (or lack thereof) may skew things. I'm not sure if it's the exact word I would use but I agree with the principle that metrics should reflect the student's actual state. 'Consistency' is perhaps what I would go with. Also, I see a difference between being a hard marker and being a harsh teacher. I don't really have a problem with the former, the article here talks mostly about the latter. My problem is with anyone who promotes 'strictness/harshness' in classrooms. Can't agree enough that there are problems with the system in general, and a society that wants everyone to succeed while also placing so much emphasis on getting people to fit bell curves. I'm working on getting new data out of classrooms right now: quantified engagement, mood, desired learning conditions, preferred methods of content delivery etc. I think that the main root of the problems we have is a desire for things to be 'right' or 'wrong'. It kills curiosity, engagement and creativity and in no way reflects the real world. EDIT: clarity