Veteran urban public school teacher here. In the old days administrators would usually support a teacher who has a tough grading policy. The policy just had to be made clear to the students from the very start. Fair enough.
This is no longer true. Today’s administrators are uniformly woke career-climbers. Learning (and discipline) take a back seat to public relations. Schools have to look good. That means pass everyone. And the more A’s the better.
Woe to the teacher who has high standards. That teacher WILL be called in for an attitude adjustment. Stubborn teachers will be targeted. The reason won’t be for having high standards, of course. Some other reason will be given.
Public education is quickly becoming a lost cause, in the cities anyway.
In 1977, my grad school economics professor was essentially fired for “failing too many students.”
He did not, of course, fail ANY student! The “failed” students were not willing to do the word necessary to pass.