If grades are about work ethic, then why don't I get a report card that says "good effort", or "good ethics". You get a card with an A, B, C, D, or F. You can sit down and try as hard as you can and still not understand something. You can do the homework to the best of you abilities and still get a C or a B. If it was just a judge of work ethic, there shouldnt be ANY of that shit. If the teech sees that you put effort into it, regardless of its right or not, it should be enough to get a "pass".

But it's not. You can try your hardest on a math assignment, get a few problems wrong, and get a C. It IS to judge how well you know the subject, not work ethic.