Should high schools have only one Valedictorian?

MusakParent
Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:22:39 +0000

My kids are not conventionally schooled so I’m sure I think about this differently than most. I really don’t understand the level of buy in about this. If a school has a valedictorian, does that really mean the “top” student has a quality that the number 2, 3 or 10 doesn’t have? Does it make this student better or smarter or more prepared for higher education or life? I seriously doubt it.

Why does every day of a student’s high school career need to be embroiled in a competition. Let each student’s data speak for itself. Let each student have their own educational journey. There are plenty of ways for students to CHOOSE to compete academically. Spelling bees, science fairs, writing competition, robotics teams, math competitions, etc etc etc. Kids with highest standardized test scores are often recognized. Why does the whole 4 year high school experience need to be an overarching contest? How about learning for the joy and sake of learning rather than playing games with whatever “points” a school chose to prioritize to knock follow students down a peg or two? Maybe students would feel empowered to divert from the standard sequences and dig deeper into areas of real passion.

Note that colleges almost never are attempting picking a valedictorian. I’d rather see high schools graduate students with honors if they need a designation more like college.

I am not one to subscribe to the idea of everyone is a winner by any stretch. Awards are totally fine. When people sign on compete and there is clear, meaningful criteria to win. The Race to Nowhere is an excellent watch. No one care who was a high school valedictorian when college starts. My high school valedictorian from the dark ages took a very basic sequence of classes carefully chosen to get the highest GPA. She was pregnant before we all left for college the fall of senior year. I graduated #10 of 310 with the most rigorous courses I could take in my high school. I graduated college with honors. Our valedictorian never went on to college.