by Adam Levine ’20

It’s not news to anyone that we are in unprecedented and unfamiliar times. High schools seniors know this better than anyone with their future milestones still in purgatory, their fate to be decided in these coming weeks. As we endure this stressful time, worrying about the future of graduation and prom, deciding how we’ll spend our years after high school, and trying to have a positive outlook on the months to come, the added pressure of grades should not be a burden for graduating high school seniors. This is why MCPS should adopt a pass/fail grading system for seniors during the fourth marking period.

Online learning is new for many of us, and that means that some challenges may be presented when trying to get used to the platform and adapt it to normal “classroom” use. Having to navigate this new lifestyle while simultaneously trying to maintain grades adds another stress to seniors’ lives. With a pass/fail grading system, seniors would still have to keep up with classroom assignments, but would be able to take a step away from school and try to make the best of their situation, getting outside, focusing on mental health, and digitally connecting with friends that they may not get to see often in life after high school. And all of this comes with the added benefit of seniors learning for the sake of learning, and not just doing schoolwork to keep up grades.

Across social media, I have seen countless seniors who have become extremely saddened by the course of these last few months of high school. There should be no reason to add the stress of grades onto us as well.