Another answer: The teacher is a prideful a$$ who likes having the reputation of being a tough teacher.

DC worked hard in a class and did well.Got As in a class where only a handful of other kids did. The teacher was a disorganized mess and aside from DC it turned out the other students who got As had tutors who had previously taught kids with his teacher. The tutors knew how to prep the kids for the exams. If only one kid without a tutor is getting As in a class, there’s something wrong with the way the class is being taught.

There are other teachers at DC’s school who categorically refuse to give As because none of their students deserve them. Total BS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC couldn't figure out where points got deducted, thought it's a A.

So one of my kid’s friend will write a paper for English like an hour or two before it is due. The kid gets A’s every time. This is at a big3 that many posters complain about the grading being too hard in English.

Some people are just naturally good at writing. I have a DC who has always excelled at this. No idea where it comes from - they just have it and teachers pointed it out as early as 3rd grade. It's easy for that DC to write well and they understand the analytical component too. Other DC will craft high quality work with same grade, but it takes more effort and it's never got quite the same elegance. It's just one of those skills some people possess. (much like any other skill/knack that a person can have)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't you have a system where they see their assignments and grades (not you, the kid)? They should absolutely know what they earned on each assignment. It's pretty easy to figure out what they didn't earn an A on. Beyond that, they (again, not you) need to talk to the teacher to see why they earned what they did.

There’s a couple schools around here that refuse to use learning management systems and have no accountability for the teachers to return grades or have transparency in any way

This is nothing new and will happen in college (and in life too). A student should learn (and parent should already know) that life is not run on grading rubrics alone. As you get older (and especially on writing assignments) grades can often be squishy and based purely on the opinion of the teacher. This is why it is important to speak with the teacher about which aspects they are looking for and how you can improve your work to meet their bar.

For OP - perhaps the public school relied on rubrics to help teachers manage volume of grading - but the private school teacher has more time to look for nuanced qualities in/facets of writing.

Anonymous wrote:Your kid needs to talk to the teachers if he doesn't understand the grade he's receiving. This was DD this year. After a few assignments where she got a B when she thought it was an A, she approached her teacher and asked if they could meet to go over the assignment and grade. They did, and the teacher pointed out why she gave the grade she did and explained. It took a couple tries but by the end, she was getting As.

This - student should talk with the teacher to get feedback. They should share how they approached the assignment (or studied for the test) and ask for tip on things the teacher thinks they should do differently in that approach/study-method to set them up for better success. This sort of scenario will continue through life, whether it be college, or a work evaluation....

We can't tell OP why child got B+'s other than, the student didn't do what the teacher was looking for. There will always be differences between teachers in what/how they assign work, test knowledge, and assess students' work/tests. It could be your child is mimicking back knowledge taught in class but the teacher wants students to use those taught facts and apply knowledge in an analysis. Who knows.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC couldn't figure out where points got deducted, thought it's a A.

So one of my kid’s friend will write a paper for English like an hour or two before it is due. The kid gets A’s every time. This is at a big3 that many posters complain about the grading being too hard in English.

How in the world would your kid know this for every paper? My high school kids don't know what their best friends get on papers and they certainly don't know exactly when they write them either.

I will say that some kids lie and exaggerate a lot about grades at these schools. Many can't be taken at their word-my kids have learned this over time-especially at college time. Some of the kids who bragged about grades for years actually weren't doing well.

My guess is it's genetic.

Anonymous wrote:DC couldn't figure out where points got deducted, thought it's a A.

If you can't tell the difference between a B+ and A, you'll never figure out what's going on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A’s should be difficult to get. What’s the problem here?

This. An A should reflect outstanding work and mastery. These days in public schools, it means they met the standard. No room for anything above that. That’s why so many public school kids have straight As.

I see that public schools live rent-free in your head, meanwhile, grade inflation is 3x higher in private schools.
But you knew that already.

Anonymous wrote:DC couldn't figure out where points got deducted, thought it's a A.

So one of my kid’s friend will write a paper for English like an hour or two before it is due. The kid gets A’s every time. This is at a big3 that many posters complain about the grading being too hard in English.

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to Sheridan. Super grade inflation.

Not in our experience.

Anonymous wrote:DC couldn't figure out where points got deducted, thought it's a A.

Enroll in GDS high school where everyone gets all A’s.

Have kids at different privates and normally teachers give pretty detailed feedback. If there is similar feedback across multiple assignments that is something to work on and the teacher may grade the same feedback more harshly if they don’t see progress as the year moves on. I would ask to see the feedback given to your child on assignments and their transcript and keep that feedback in mind for the future.

Anonymous wrote:A’s should be difficult to get. What’s the problem here?

This. An A should reflect outstanding work and mastery. These days in public schools, it means they met the standard. No room for anything above that. That’s why so many public school kids have straight As.

A’s should be difficult to get. What’s the problem here?

Send your kid to Sheridan. Super grade inflation.