Dumbing down our children is unacceptable

Some schools are allowing students who fail a test to retake it, with the lower score being tossed out. This process "dumbs" down the students and pushes students through the system who haven't earned it.

We should set high expectations and high standards and hold them to that. We should not lower the bar and give them an excuse not to succeed. This is not about giving students second chances. They need to learn to prepared the first time. After all as adults we don't get second shots at job interviews.

Here are other bad ideas seen in schools:
Only homework grades that raise a student's average will be recorded.

Students are given one opportunity to turn in homework assignments that weren't finished on time.

Students who fail to perform or turn homework in on time need to learn there are consequences for such behavior. This system creates an atmosphere of mediocrity.
Don't do this. Set the educational bar high. If you just lower expectations of students and tell them we'll let you slide and give you an excuse not to be successful, then by all means they will be unsuccessful. But if you say 'Here's the bar, you've got to come get it,' they'll find ways to come and get it."