NY Schools doing away with Valedictorian awards

[MA-Caver]

School district in New York has decided to do away with the Valedictorian award to students because "it causes too much competition" a mother and daughter are angry about it and other parents as well. Watch the video:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=14121559&ch=4226713&src=news

http://ydr.inyork.com/ydr/newsfull/ci_12670799

Another sign of stupidity going on. Students who work extra hard than their classmates won't get the pat on the back they deserve for it anymore because some other kid(s) decided to blow off studying or taking tests seriously and learning and getting an education.
One comment I saw hit it on the head... "how emo was born."
It's not the hard working students fault that their classmates aren't keeping up. Some kids are just naturally smarter than others and have an aptitude for taking in information better than others so they should be recognized for the willingness to apply themselves and their natural talents to their studies.
Taking away the special awards from those who earned them honestly is just cheapening their education, cheapening the time and effort they put in and thus could create a "so-what" or "whats the point?" attitude of attending higher educational institutions.
Being recognized as a valedictorian helps student applications to some of the higher priced colleges/universities in the country... if that is removed then their grades will have to stand alone... to my understanding Valedictorian shows that you excelled over all of your class-mates in every area of your high-school studies and thus would not be wasting the college's time and effort in continuing that education.

Your thoughts?

 

[celtic_crippler]

In the New World Order nobody will shine, we will all be the same.

Won't that be just great?

 

[terryl965]

Yea we all must follow the leader and be as one, come on people get with the new program less is more and stupidity is the only way.

 

[celtic_crippler]

In the future, "Idiocracy" will be required watching in History Class.

 

[Empty Hands]

I don't support doing away with the positions. But. They do foster actions that aren't in the spirit of learning. Some students I knew would avoid challenging courses, or restrict themselves to only the minimum courses in order to sustain what amounts to a meaningless GPA. They deliberately crippled part of their own education so they could be the "best". They weren't the best or the smartest, they just gamed the system to get the title they wanted.

 

[seasoned]

There are always two ways to look at anything. The fact of the matter is, this is not a stand alone situation. Every facet of out life is being effected by this equal opportunity mentality. The achievers are, our guide post, once any incentives are taken away, it will breed lethargy.

 

[Senjojutsu]

So help me out here, will the Central York School District VARSITY SPORTS TEAMS no longer keep score during games/matches also?

 

[Cryozombie]

They deliberately crippled part of their own education so they could be the "best". They weren't the best or the smartest, they just gamed the system to get the title they wanted.

I dunno... finding the cleverest way to cheat the system is still an excercise in brainstuffs IMO, just in a different direction.

 

[Tez3]

As I didn't know what this was I Googled it and it seems there's some controversy over it anyway?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valedictorian

 

[Andy Moynihan]

It's New York.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I'm having trouble with this as well. My understanding of the Valedictorian is that s/he speaks for the graduating class at commencement. Ideally, that person would be a high achiever. In my high school -- back in the seventies -- the graduating class voted for the valedictorian. In the story they also seem to be talking about the honour roll, which I see as a different thing. In that instance, the kids with the highest are acknowledged each term.

Do kids in NY schools vote for their valedictorian? If so, what's the hubaballoo?

If you can celebrate the achievements of athletes, why not acknowledge the kids who got the grades?

Can you imagine the indignation if schools did not acknowledge athletes?

I wonder what the backstory is here.

 

[elder999]

Do kids in NY schools vote for their valedictorian? If so, what's the hubaballoo?.

The valedictorian is typically the one with the highest grade-standing in the class.

This is yet another indication of the insidious and false cultural notion that "we're all the best!"

Newsflash: No, we're not.

 

[Gordon Nore]

The valedictorian is typically the one with the highest grade-standing in the class.

I've seen it done slightly differently where the student body votes from the top students who reflect excellence in academics and other pursuits. In my high school, the two strongest candidates for valedictorian were both top scholars -- one with high achievement in sports, the other in student council.

It's a shame that this has sparked such controversy. I strongly suspect -- in the story cited above -- that the administration is fending off all kinds of complaints and decided to dump it.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

You know this is pretty pathetic.

We need to reward our high achiever's in any endeavor so that people will continue to strive to be their best. Take the incentive's away and you will in the end diminish achievement.

I am kind've close to this as in my family there were several valedictorians. I also have a couple of high achieving kid's. In regards to those kid's the schools in our area do not have advanced classes for them. :erg: However the local University does have an advanced program for them. (of which the oldest get's to participate in next year at 12 years of age

) This will challenge him and hopefully keep that brain power going. I know in his schooling so far he is just not challenged.

Bottom line high achievement needs to be rewarded.

 

[JDenver]

As a teacher at a post secondary institution I can tell you that things right now are NOT good.

Young adults believe that their opinions should be taken equal to that of the teacher. If the instructor tells a student to do something, the student has every right to not do it, to mockingly question its value, to disrespect the instructor, and so on. Students now believe that they have the right, not to an opinion, but to telling the school by what means it should do its business. Students cry 'UNFAIR' if they perceive that any of their peers receive any extra attention or support, regardless of circumstances (like a student who has attention deficit or has lost a loved one).

The lack of humility and respect in the younger generation is appalling. Doing away with the valedictorian is in the same vein. Don't work hard. Don't attempt to excel. We will coddle you, protecting you from any sense of recognition for hard work. No one will be singled out EVER. To do so is wrong!

I can tell you that I teach opposite to such things. Students will show respect for me, my peers and the school. They will do as instructed. It's not their business what's happening with a fellow student. Some kids figure it out, some do not.

 

[MA-Caver]

As a teacher at a post secondary institution I can tell you that things right now are NOT good.

Young adults believe that their opinions should be taken equal to that of the teacher. If the instructor tells a student to do something, the student has every right to not do it, to mockingly question its value, to disrespect the instructor, and so on. Students now believe that they have the right, not to an opinion, but to telling the school by what means it should do its business. Students cry 'UNFAIR' if they perceive that any of their peers receive any extra attention or support, regardless of circumstances (like a student who has attention deficit or has lost a loved one).

The lack of humility and respect in the younger generation is appalling. Doing away with the valedictorian is in the same vein. Don't work hard. Don't attempt to excel. We will coddle you, protecting you from any sense of recognition for hard work. No one will be singled out EVER. To do so is wrong!

I can tell you that I teach opposite to such things. Students will show respect for me, my peers and the school. They will do as instructed. It's not their business what's happening with a fellow student. Some kids figure it out, some do not.

Used to be when I was in school, if a student cried UNFAIR a teacher would cry back TOO BAD! Used to be that if a student smarted off to a teacher, the teacher would either take 'em out to the hall and chew them out or assert their authority in the class room (thereby embarrassing the crap out of them) and lay down the rules. Used to be if the student continued that activity then the wooden paddle would get pulled out of the teacher's desk and laid on top as a warning. Used to be that if there were further infractions then the paddle would be used.

I'm suspecting that most of those who are coming up with these "changes" are the ones who felt themselves scarred or their sense of inadequacy (which we ALL have in one sense or another) was dealt a severe blow and now are in a position (School Board members or Town Council or whatever!) to make those changes. They never got over it while the rest of us moved on and became stronger and better people because of the way things were.

Perhaps there is just toooo much pressure for a child to achieve (your brothre/sister/cousin has gotten all straight A's in their classes what have you done?) to get those good grades so they can get the scholarships and the parent's aren't driven to broke paying for their child's higher education. That it's a lot easier to get into college on an atheltic scholarship than an academic one. The bar gets lowered and now it seems they're going to remove one of them altogether. Lets not make it TOO tough on these kids, life is hard enough as it is.
Hmm, having a hard life in the early years would make the hard life in the adult years a lot easier to take wouldn't it? Or would they break down and go postal? Or would they break down a lot sooner and go Columbine?
So lets reduce the pressure, minimize the stress, eliminate the feelings of inferiority and inadequacy so nobody is better than the next.
Wasn't there a thread here on MT about the idea of getting rid of the belt system in MA?

 

[CoryKS]

I don't support doing away with the positions. But. They do foster actions that aren't in the spirit of learning. Some students I knew would avoid challenging courses, or restrict themselves to only the minimum courses in order to sustain what amounts to a meaningless GPA. They deliberately crippled part of their own education so they could be the "best". They weren't the best or the smartest, they just gamed the system to get the title they wanted.

Don't they factor in the level of the courses when choosing the student? IIRC, our valedictorian was taking honors-level classes. He was also a grade-A d-bag, but a pretty smart one.

 

[celtic_crippler]

It doesn't matter really.

IF they go on to pursue higher education they will have to take placement exams and if they don't score well in the areas they need for their major it's their own fault for not preparing properly in high school.

Those that opt to take the harder courses (they do still have colledge prepatory classes don't they? Or have they destroyed those as well?) will benefit in the long run when it comes to obtaining degrees in higher learning.

 

[Empty Hands]

Don't they factor in the level of the courses when choosing the student? IIRC, our valedictorian was taking honors-level classes. He was also a grade-A d-bag, but a pretty smart one.

Some do, some don't. My school didn't. An "A" was an "A", whether in gym or AP Physics.

 

[Deaf Smith]

You know, the Communist did the same thing. No rewards for excellence except a 'Hero of the Soviet Union' tin medal that would not buy you even a cup of coffee.

It's always like that in socialist countries and you would be surpassed how unions do that alot do. So it does not surprise me schools up north would do that do.

They don't like standouts. Standouts means individualism, and individualism is the enemy of the socialistic systems (unless you are one of the ruling class, then that's another matter.)

In the schools up north you are all equal, but some are more equal than others.

Next you will see the old slogan, “each according to their ability, each according to their needs’. And that means the committees decide what you will do and what you will get. And don’t look to good in front of them, comrade.

Deaf