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OUR SCHOOL YEAR COUNTS. OUR EDUCATION COUNTS.

We, the public high school students of Arizona, are asking for your help to ensure our continued success in our education. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most disruptive events in modern education history. We are living it. Our current school system is designed for in-person teaching and interaction. The quality of academics and learning is certain to suffer as “distance learning,” implemented overnight, has brought challenges for administrators, teachers, and students. Students have been struggling to work in this new environment. Therefore, we are advocating for grading the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year as Pass/Fail. This system will give all students full credit and a chance to earn a passing or failing grade for each course. 

We appreciate how hard our teachers are trying to deliver online education. We are all learning to work together in a new way. This will take time – a “learning curve” as some say. In the meantime, the new approach is causing major inconsistencies in education delivery and learning. Given the unique circumstances, it is a virtual reality that our second-semester grades can be greatly affected. We – and students around the country – are concerned about the effect on our grades during our important high school time.

Many of us are facing challenges that were unimaginable just a few months ago. As you consider our request, we ask you to take into account these issues:

• Confusion is rampant. We are tracking as best as we can in an inconsistent implementation. Technologies and techniques vary from class to class. The level of conference learning versus online assignments varies widely as well. The glitches are lessening but still being worked out.
• We are trying against the odds to keep a class schedule. Online postings at random times make it difficult to do so. Scheduling is all self-directed. While many messages and media articles have advised parents to help us set up a routine and get organized, not all are able to do so. Those students without parental support face a huge disadvantage. 
• Stress levels are almost unbearable. We are concerned about our physical health, mental health, and stability. The warnings about the pandemic have us prioritizing our and our families’ wellbeing above all else. This is a significant distraction to other important priorities such as school. The abrupt disconnection and isolation from our school community have been painful especially for students who are struggling already. We have no idea when our lives will return to normal. Our concentration is suffering. We are concerned about the growing number of students experiencing depression which will hurt their academic performance. 
• It's difficult to keep up with the semester’s teaching curriculum. Our teachers are trying their best under the circumstances. They also are challenged to keep track of assignments being submitted online at all different times. Grades will suffer in this environment for all but some more than others. It's impossible in the current situation to account for unusual, disproportionate hardships for certain students.
• Access to teachers and counselors has dropped.  After-class discussions and counseling appointments were a strong source of support for students. Availability has fallen dramatically. Teachers are holding virtual office hours – but these can be as little as one hour per day for all their students. 
• Many of us are dealing with family issues. Those students with younger siblings and working parents are now having to step up at home. It's tough to find enough consistent time blocks for our studies. Some families’ financial and even housing situations have been thrown into chaos through lost jobs or decreased income. In some cases, our ability to focus has been severely impaired.
• Other commitments are demanding time from us. Those involved in extracurricular activities, or classes requiring physical training, are being asked to attend virtual workout or instruction sessions. Those sessions are mandatory in order to continue being part of important activities. Other students are involved in volunteer efforts to aid the community that are continuing with safety measures.
• Some students don't have what they need for online learning. The school districts stepped up quickly to provide laptops and discounted broadband connection for those families without necessary computer or internet access. However, some students, particularly those experiencing economic hardship, are falling through the cracks. The new system leaves some students behind with a disproportionate amount of disadvantaged students.

In this extremely distressing reality, we ask for your understanding. It is a stretch to expect us to perform as well as we would in a normal school environment. Completion of this second semester will be rough for many reasons beyond our control. We've been unable to continue our school work and performance as usual. The disruption could limit some students' abilities to earn even a passing grade. 

We are proposing this Pass/Fail system in line with the severity of the situation. We are requesting only a chance against the hurdles that we face. We ask to minimize the impact to our hopes and ambitions.  We look to our country’s esteemed higher education institutions for direction in handling the grading issue. Students from schools such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Ohio State, among many others, are requesting Pass/Fail or even Universal Pass systems for the second semester of this school year.

We ask for your support for Arizona’s students because our school year counts. Our education and our futures count. Thank you.