Talbot County school board confronts unsanctioned 50% minimum grading practice, asks superintendent for interim guidance
Summary
Student leaders, teachers and board members clashed over a new high-school practice that sets a 50% floor for missing assignments. The board did not vote on policy but asked the superintendent to issue interim guidance while the grading committee finalizes a district policy.
Talbot County public schools faced a heated debate Nov. 19 after principals at both high schools issued guidance this fall requiring teachers to assign a minimum grade of 50 for missing work. Board members said the guidance was issued without district policy or explicit superintendent approval and asked the superintendent to provide interim direction until a formal grading policy is developed.
The issue surfaced during committee reports and drew widespread comment from student board members, teachers and several board members. "If you don't do the work, you shouldn't give it a 50% — it's not earned," said student board member Tyler Murphy, describing teacher and peer reactions at St. Michael's. Another student, Elmer of Easton High, described classmates' responses in a classroom quiz: "The worst I can get is a 50 now," he said, arguing that the practice reduces incentive to try.
Teaching-and-learning staff said the guidance originated at the school level and was intended to address "death by zeros" and create more equitable grading practices. "Teachers have the discretion, as long as they're within our grading policy," said Miss Warner of the district's teaching-and-learning team, explaining that the county’s existing policies set grading ranges but the board is still crafting an overarching grading policy.
Board leaders framed the immediate problem as procedural as well as substantive. The board president said issuing systemwide guidance without superintendent sign-off was a misstep that bypassed normal lines of authority and created confusion for teachers and families. Several board members described the practice as "troubling," saying it risks inflating grades, lowering standards and disadvantaging students who submit work on time.
Other speakers urged a measured approach. Members of the grading committee and some parents recommended gathering data and input before making permanent policy changes, and suggested creating guardrails — for example, limiting the minimum to students who show good-faith effort or applying changes only at the start of a grading period.
The board did not vote on a policy change Nov. 19. Instead, members said they had provided clear direction to the superintendent: review the committee's work, consult teaching-and-learning staff and issue interim guidance about whether the 50% practice should continue districtwide for the 2025–26 school year. The grading committee is expected to bring a formal policy for the board’s consideration before the next school year.
Next steps: the superintendent will report back with recommended interim guidance and the grading committee will continue its work to craft a permanent policy that the board must approve.
