Beckie Supiano, a Senior Writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, dives into the contentious issue of grade inflation in academia. She discusses the growing number of straight-A students and the societal panic over grade standards. Supiano explores the pressures placed on professors and the changing dynamics in student demographics. She questions the true meaning of grades and their role as indicators of learning. The conversation also touches on the impact of grades on student anxiety, college admissions, and the future of merit-based education.