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Interesting topic, Gilda. I am also a teacher. During parent conference, I had a mother argue with me for over 1 hour because her son got a "C" in reading.
My argument went: C is an average grade. In a class of 24 students, it should be expected that at least 12-14 students will get a C, with the remaining students spread out over the rest of the grade spectrum.
Her argument went: He's been on Honor Roll since the 1st grade. This is the first time he's ever, ever gotten a C. I don't think you're being fair.
I explained to her that a lot of teachers either simply bump up grades to avoid confrontations with parents or their work is so easy that getting As and Bs is as simple as showing up. I explained to her that giving her son As and Bs just to make him happy will end up making him more of a disappointment later in life when he finds that mediocre work is not rewarded well.
Now, on to whether a C is a bad grade or not: no, it isn't. Just like Gilda explained, it is an average grade. It is supposed to indicate that a student has performed adequately enough to pass, no better, no worse. It is to denote acceptable performance. Unfortunately, we live in a society where good enough isn't good enough. Everybody has to be in the top 5 and no one accepts less. The problem with grade inflation is that it makes the value of a B or an A worthless. And seriously, just how many people can be the best, anyways?
I grade as scientifically as I am able based upon what I learned about grading in college. In a class of 25 students, there should be no more than 2 or 3 students earning As. Other teachers in my school are always amazed at me during any awards assembly because, while they are calling up 11 or 12 students to receive honor roll, I've never had more than 4 receive it, and sometimes none.
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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses
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