As we live through these unprecedented times due to COVID-19, Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have decided to keep letter grades for the 3rd quarter and implement a "Pass/Incomplete" policy for 4th quarter grades. The Board of Education will meet on May 12, 2020, to decide how 2nd-semester grades will be calculated.

We are MCPS high school students who worked more diligently than ever to make sure our academic performance is competitive for college admissions. We know that many students are also facing the same uncertainty as we do. If semester grades are calculated solely based on our 3rd quarter grades, many of us would lose a second chance to improve their grades in the 4th quarter. On the other hand, if our semester grades become "Pass/Incomplete," the grades will not reflect all the long hours and brainpower we dedicated to earning our desired grades in the 3rd quarter. Every single Honors/AP/IB/AL class we take would not be graded for Honors credit/weight, but instead a passing credit only.

Today, we propose a solution: MCPS should create a system where students have a choice between selecting their 3rd quarter grades or "Pass/Incomplete" as their 2nd-semester grades. The "Pass" semester grade can be assigned with a "B" for the purpose of calculating the GPA. With this system, our work in the 4th quarter will be acknowledged, and those who received an “A” in the 3rd quarter will be recognized for their hard work. 

This solution is drawn from similar policies implemented by other school districts. For instance, the Howard County public schools will give everyone an unweighted A for completing the 4th quarter work. North Carolina public schools allow students to choose between letter grades and Pass/Incomplete for each class as their semester grades. 

If you have read this far, we really appreciate your time and patience. We urge you to sign this petition so that everyone will have a grade that best reflects their abilities despite the difficulties experienced during this pandemic. Remember, the decision is to be made on May 12. Please sign and share it with your friends today!

Please feel free to comment on this petition. If you have any other questions or suggestions, you can contact Aaron Wong at awong9396@gmail.com

Thank You!