FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – Getting good grades in Fairfax County, Virginia schools could soon become a lot easier.

Fifty-percent easier for some students.

Among several proposals floated to standardize grading in the district’s middle and high schools, school officials are considering the idea of eliminating zeros and setting the lowest grade available at 50 percent, The Washington Post reports.

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Fairfax County Assistant Superintendent Steven Lockard detailed that idea and others as possibilities for teachers to consider in a mass email sent Tuesday.

“It’s time to examine our current grading policies in an effort to ensure that we have consistent and equitable practices throughout our middle and high schools,” he wrote, according to the news site.

Schools in the district currently have some latitude about how teachers administer grades, which apparently causes problems with college admissions, particularly because some schools let students submit corrected answers on tests for credit, while others don’t.

So, in addition to possibly eliminating zeros, officials are also thinking about basing student grades on “classroom effort,” as well.

The proposed grading policy changes would make Fairfax Schools more like neighboring Montgomery County schools, where the only way to get a zero is if a student “did not actually do the assignment or put in effort to do it,” Montgomery spokesman Dana Tofig told the Post.

Ken O’Connor, an “education consultant and grading expert,” told the news site zeros are “morally and ethically wrong.”

“As soon as a kid gets even one zero, they have no chance of success,” O’Connor alleges.

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Former Georgetown University admissions officer and current Fairfax board member Megan McLaughlin thinks grading policy changes would help her two sons at Woodson High School. She doesn’t think it’s fair that students at some schools can retake tests, while others cannot.

“What happens when you apply for college and kids from other schools have higher grades?” she questioned.

“She said one proposal under consideration would allow students across the county to receive credit for submitting corrected answers to questions they got wrong on tests. McLaughlin said she also supports the proposal to replace zeros with a 50 percent for F grades,” the Post reports.

“Digging out from a zero is a whole lot harder for kids than a 50,” said McLaughlin, who gained her seat on the school board in part by highlighting issues with the district’s grading policies.

Fairfax County Federation of Teachers President Steven Greenburg also seemed to like the proposed grading changes. He thinks they would help eliminate “an unreasonable amount of nightly homework” and level the playing field for students.

“In my opinion, this is about getting consistency across the county,” Greenburg told the Post. “The inconsistency in this county is so overwhelming between high schools and expectations and what things are worth that I think it’s causing a lot of problems among parents and students.”

Other commentators, like Townhall’s Courtney O’Brien, don’t think it’s in students’ best interests to eliminate zeros or provide test retakes.

O’Brien opines:

When (Dr. Ben) Carson was in elementary school, he routinely received failing grades. With his mother’s urging and encouragement, however, he turned those scores around and became one of the most renowned neurosurgeons in the world. It’s obvious that his early struggles in school pushed him to not only overcome, but to excel. …

Failing grades are not death sentences – they’re wake up calls. They gave Dr. Carson and his mom a steely determination to succeed – and they can have the same response today.

Don’t ban zeroes, Virginia. Consider how rewarding it is for both student and teacher when those failing grades turn into perfect scores.

Many others commenting online seemed to agree with O’Brien.

“Going through difficult times strengthens you, if you have the right attitude about it. Having someone else always fix or coddle you through it, only weakens you. As a society we have become so risk adverse that we will stop performing in a productive manner, but move backward,” John Sandhofner, a retired civil engineer, posted to Facebook.

“What is so very bad is that the students are taught that effort is to be rewarded on the same basis as results. Carried to its logical extreme licensing occupations will become meaningless,” Hessie Harris added. “For example, how is a person seeking medical assistance to know whether a doctor is really qualified or if he got his degree because he ‘really tried’?”

“There they go again. Feelings and emotions count much more than reality. Play on a team and get a trophy for just showing up, don’t keep score because someone’s feelings might get hurt, what is next banning the word “NO”, actions and just no longer have consequences to the myopic utopias,” wrote Geoff Mizel, a retired CEO.

Lockard told teachers in his email that there’s no specific timeline to implement grading system changes, but it could happen as soon as next year, the Post reports.