Why Good Grades Don't Always Make Children Successful


credit: Ashoka

"The grades you got in school don't really matter," says educator and bestselling author Esther Wojcicki.

Speaking recently at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Wojcicki said education in the US is flawed because it discourages "kids who are super creative but who are not following all of the rules."

How do we continue to encourage them? "The number one way I think we need to [encourage creative students] is we need to cut the importance of grades," the 81-year-old California high school teacher said, per CNBC.

"Everybody is fighting for grades and those grades lead to college, and if you don't have those grades you cannot go," Wojcicki said.

"We need kids to be able to think our way out of the problems that face our world. School, as it is set up today, does not do that."

Some neurologists argue that memorization has benefits like exercising your brain, and that remembering information is the first step to understanding it.

But education experts contend that prioritizing high test scores rather than demonstrating deep understanding of materials fails to teach important learning skills.

Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

'Safety, Compassion, Innovation': Beaufort Memorial Honors Top Staff At Bemmy Awards

'Safety, compassion, innovation': Beaufort Memorial honors top staff at Bemmy Awards.The Quality Services department took home the award for Department of the Year at BeaufortMemorial Hospital's...more

Cleveland Clinic Children's Ranks No. 2 in America For Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery by ...

This ranking recognizes the leading children's hospitals in the U.S., featuring the top 50 hospitals.Cleveland Clinic Children's placed in all eight pediatric subspecialities: Cardiology and Cardiac...more

Mackinac Policy Conference Left Early Childhood Education Off This Year's Agenda

Mackinac Policy Conference left early childhood education off this year's agenda.By 2027, make Detroit a city that puts young children and families first, says James Ribbron, executive director of...more

Investing in Tech to Help Children and Communities Thrive

Investing in tech to help children and communities thrive | Takeda Stories.How our Global CSR Program helped empower diverse entrepreneurs to innovate health solutions.29 Digital public goods...more

Navigating Faith, Identity, and the Fight For Marriage Equality

Greg Bourke is the author of "Gay, Catholic, and American: My Legal Battle for Marriage Equality and Inclusion" Bourke spoke at the Yale School of Management's Social Impact Lab.Bourke's final advice...more

Tesla Robotaxi Tech Hits Child-Size Dummy in Shocking New Test

Tesla plans to deploy a small fleet of robotaxis in Austin in the coming weeks.Tesla FSD 13.2.9 will still run a kid down while illegally blowing past a stopped school bus with red lights flashing...more

Lake Superior Community Partnership Receives Two Child Care Grants

Awarded funding will support a wide range of activities between now and September 30, 2025.The FCCN initiative, supported by $85,000 in grant funding, will help build and sustain a Family Child Care...more

Recruitment Begins For Innovative Job Training Program For Individuals With Disabilities

The Delivering Innovative Vocational Education through Virtual Reality Technology new workforce training program aimed at preparing individuals with disabilities for the program.DIVE-VRT delivers...more

Unlocking Africa's Untapped Digital Potential

Children are growing up surrounded by screens, apps, and smart devices.Being intentional about tech use goes a long way toward deepening interest in tech and creating meaningful experiences.Creating...more

Safeguarding Innovation and Trade Secrets in American Ai Leadership

Safeguarding innovation and trade secrets in American AI leadership Safeguarded innovation andtrade secrets in U.S.AI leadership.Testimony was given before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts,...more


In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.



Federal Government Grant and Assistance Programs


Operating Assistance for Troubled Multifamily Housing Projects | Christopher Columbus Fellowship Program | Appalachian Regional Development (See individual
Appalachian Programs)
| Conservation Project Support | Veterans Prosthetic Appliances | Corrections_Research and Evaluation and Policy Formulation | CHAMPVA | Crisis Counseling | | Site Style by YAML | Grants.gov | Grants | Grants News | Sitemap | Privacy Policy

Edited by: Michael Saunders

© 2008-2025 Copyright Michael Saunders