Replacing traditional letter grades with narrative report cards in K-12 schools is a mistake because it fails to give students and parents a clear benchmark for academic performance. When my son's school piloted this system last year, teachers wrote paragraphs that sounded positive but didn't indicate whether he was below, at, or above grade level in math or reading. Standardized metrics, while imperfect, help identify learning gaps early—something vague comments can't do. Should we really guess at progress when college admissions and scholarships still rely on numerical transcripts?