School board OK’s optional pass-fail grades for high school

GREENWICH — In a 6-2 vote, the Greenwich Board of Education approved a policy that will allow high school students to opt for pass-fail grades, rather than letter grades, across all their classes.

The tension before the vote during Thursday night’s school board meeting was whether the decision to take the pass-fail would be noted on transcripts with an asterisk. Administrators and some BOE members said this would punish the students whom they are trying to support with this policy.

Greenwich High School guidance counselor Judith Nedell said that of the schools she has spoken to, some have not yet voted on a policy, while those that have adopted an optional passfail decided not to denote the change with an asterisk.

Board Chairman Peter

Bernstein said this is the right policy and the right approach.

“We have a wide spectrum of students,” Bernstein said. “We have highchievers, and we have high achievers who are struggling right now.”

Students have the maximum time possible to make decisions about whether to take the pass-fail option, and he said every high school in the nation is having to make this choice, and every college will have to deal with admissions accordingly.

Board members Peter Sherr and Karen Kowalski voted against the policy because administrators said the pass-fail would not be noted on student transcripts.

“I would really like to support pass-fail, but I think the way this is constructed, it has the potential to disadvantage certain kids and I can’t support that,”

Sherr said.

Kowalski likewise said she supported the decision, but ultimately voted with her concerns.

“My concern is that, and maybe there is no perfect construction to come up with, there are a whole host of kids who are being damaged by the fact that there is no specific notation,” Kowalski said.

Other board members, including Christina Downey, said policing this decision gets “into the weeds of regulations.”

“What I learned through this process is that (Headmaster Ralph Mayo, Assistant Headmaster Rick Piotrzkowski and Nedell) know what they’re doing,” Board Vice Chairwoman Kathleen Stowe said. “There’s a reason we don’t make policies and we don’t get into the weeds.”