More accountability, higher standards - both are long-time goals for Dallas public school officials.

Yet some say education is about to take a giant step backwards at DISD.

Causing a stir - new grading procedures adopted by DISD, crafted by committee, designed to make student performance appraisals more fair.

But at this point mostly what it's making is teachers mad.

DISD administration is on a constant quest to improve education and student performance.

One way to do that, according to DISD trustee Jerome Garza, is to level the playing field on grading student performance.

"Whether you go to Rosemont Elementary or Walnut Hill Elementary, you'll be treated the same," he said.

Garza is a key proponent of a new grading policy, designed by a committee of teachers and administrators, which does more than just equalize the grading system.

It's upsetting teachers.

Teachers' union president, Aimee Bolender, says she objects to several key components of the new policy which now allows high school students one chance to retake any test they fail, at least one chance to submit late work, which was not related to an absence.

Also, teachers can give a grade of zero only after parental notification and efforts are made to assist the student.

Bolender believes all this does is further erode the teachers' ability to teach.

"Once again it says 'you don't really have to do the work, we are going to kind of let you slide here, we're going to give you a lot of chances.' I don't think our kids need that many chances," she said.

Trustee Garza disagrees.

He says the new grading system better engages parents and gives at risk students hope.

"What we are really interested in is the children learning. And if they are not, we need intervention immediately. This system does that," he said.

Garza also says the new policy will be evaluated for effectiveness after the fall semester and can be modified if it's not working out.

Teachers fear, however, that by then, a major element of accountability will be lost.

E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com.