THE END OF THE GRADUATION VALEDICTORIANS?

SCHOOLS RETHINK CLASS STANDINGS

48 VALEDICTORIANS IN ONE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!

The Alpha-Phonics bird

Alphachirpy says: it looks like we are seeing the end of having well-achieving students picked to offer valedictorian speeches at high school graduations. (Summarized from a June 15, 2017 Associated Press story.)

Here is why: “At many American high schools, the graduation-day tradition of crowning a valedictorian is becoming a thing of the past.

“The ranking of students from No. 1 on down, based on grade-point averages, has been fading steadily for about the past decade. In its place are honors that recognize everyone who scores at a certain threshold – using Latin honors ,* for example. This year, one school in Tennessee had 48 valedictorians.”

What do you think about this trend: GOOD or BAD?

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In the AP story various educators interviewed were asked their opinion about the new idea of using many valedictorians at graduation exercises: Lancaster High School, Buffalo, NY, principal Cesar Marchioli “….said he was neutral on the issue, though he feels [Bad] for the 11th-ranked student who falls just short of the recognition awarded to the top 10 students honored at the annual banquet.”

Graduating senior Connor Carrow, 17, has pressed for the switch to Latin honors. “He said it’s a better fit with the school’s collaborative and cooperative ideals. You’re striving for that (honor) personally, but you’re not hoping that you’re better than these other 400 people next to you.”

“collaborative and cooperative ideals”?? “…not hoping to be better than….” Do you think these are good or bad?

“Elsewhere, commenters have peppered news websites with disparaging comparisons to giving ‘participation trophies’ to avoid hurt feelings, while supporters point out the often statistically insignificant differences that separate students.”

COMMENT: In recent years the driving trend is to eliminate any comparative levels of excellence in almost every endeavour. In Little League baseball we now see not keeping score to eliminates winners or losers. Some schools (Both high school level and college) are eliminating “grades.” Everybody passes, and so on. Why wouldn’t you want to strive to be better than the other 400 people next to you?

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