Regarding Daniel Pink’s March 3 online column, “Why not get rid of grades?”:
Governors across the country — Democratic and Republican alike — are rethinking how we measure success. There’s no doubt the U.S. education system, from early childhood through college, is due for a redesign to keep pace with changes in technology and the job market. Though metrics such as grades, test scores or diplomas are important, these measurements alone are no longer sufficient to determine whether students are career- or college-ready. And it’s not just metrics that need reevaluation; we also need to rethink how education meets the needs of our students and their futures.
In Colorado, we have several innovative programs to help students transition to careers and higher education opportunities. For our future educators, Colorado’s teacher apprenticeship program helps people who want to get a teaching degree. Apprentices get structured, on-the-job training alongside a mentor teacher as well as credit for prior classroom experience and related academic instruction — all while getting paid.
Through FutureForward at Bollman, high school students can earn industry certificates and college credit in high-demand fields, such as automotive technology, cybersecurity and medical science. Some graduates heading directly into the workforce can start off in good-paying jobs on the strength of their training and certifications. At Colorado Early Colleges charter schools, students can earn an associate’s degree in tandem with a high school diploma. A head start on degrees means they can complete their college studies faster, saving time and money.
Through our bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) initiative Let’s Get Ready!, governors across the country are working with education leaders, parents and students to reexamine our assumptions, innovate to more effectively measure outcomes and do more of what works. To prepare our students for successful futures and our economy for greater success, it’s time to move past the status quo.
— NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis
The above letter appeared in the Washington Post on Friday, 21 March 2025.