SWATCA 2025 - South Western Alberta Teachers' Convention

Why do we grade, and at what cost? This session critically examines the harmful effects of percentages, letter grades, and ranking practices, especially on neurodiverse and marginalized learners. Rooted in systemic ableism and power dynamics, grades perpetuate inequities, foster competition, and create divisive learning cultures that often prioritize compliance over genuine growth. Drawing on Jesse Stommel’s work (2023), we will explore how the practice of 'ungrading' shifts the focus to care-based feedback and assessment practices that centre equity, wellness, and collaboration. Stommel reminds us that “grades are inequitable” and that rethinking assessment requires asking hard questions about who assessment is truly for and how it can become a liberatory practice. Together, we will discuss actionable steps to dismantle the grading status quo and build learning environments that empower students as co-authors of their education without grades -- all the while not losing authentic engagement and rigour. This session invites educators to imagine a better future for teaching and learning—one rooted in compassion, reflection, and an ethic of relationality outside the oppression of grades.