Wow !! Do I feel stupid !

Those 8th graders were some smart cookies. School wasn't 'dumbed' down back then. If you failed, you failed, you weren't given a 'special' test and passed to keep up with your classmates. I read recently that teachers in some school district were asked not to mark wrong answers or failing test scores with red pen. The red pen made the child feel inferior and made him separate from the rest of the class.

Similar thinking is taking place in many childrens sports. There is no longer just 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Now everybody gets a ribbon or award just for participating.

How are kids going to learn that you need to study and work hard in school as in life. If you don't want red marks on your papers, if you want a trophy, if you want to go to college, if you want a good job, you need to study and strive hard to reach your goals. Help them set goals and reach for the stars.