Sounds like the synthesis problem could be the difference between a 8-9/10 and a 10/10 score. It would work in an accuracy grading system instead of a hedge against stupidity system.

I grew up poor. I thought my ticket to not being poor was an education. By the time I was applying for colleges (I had good grades) I realized that the education system was a joke.

I got through college, a very well-regarded engineering program, putting in the bare minimum effort to graduate.

I make a lot of money now, 20 years later. I attribute none of my success to public education or college, I didn’t learn anything besides our education system (in the US) is not what they tell kids it is growing up.

We beat the drum of education because it seems like a nice simple solution to fix a lot of perceived problems. “Oh you mean if we just throw money at this problem it’ll fix it?!”

Baltimore city gets some of the highest per-student federal funding in the country. My daughter is in a public middle school there, living with her mom. I’m in the burbs with my wife and kids.

She told me just yesterday she wants to go to high school in my district because “well it just seems more normal than city schools”

She also thought California was a country up until yesterday. Straight A student.

At some point, probably too late, we’ll realize we did it a wrong. Floating kids through high school, dropping an anvil of debt around their neck for a college degree they won’t use. Met a fellow the other day, he has his masters in social work. Making very, very good money, as a regional manager of a car sales group, I forget the specifics. Said he never used his degree and he is very grateful he has a clear path to pay the debt off.

I don’t know what the fix is, but I’ve seen enough to know what we do now, ain’t it.