The newest iteration of this phenomenon is “lawnmower parents,” who are dedicated to cutting a clear path so that their kids don’t have to face as much resistance as a blade of grass.

An important corollary to the kind of pressure K-12 teachers are under is what has happened in higher ed. A majority of college classes in the US are now taught by part time people (you can win bets about this!); under a third of faculty are tenured; perhaps half that are tenure-track. Combine this with the course evaluations that students write and you get . . . a stunning degree of grade inflation.

Sure, you can fail students who do no work! You just have to find someplace else to teach the following semester . . .