School Board Decides Valedictorian Title Too Competitive

As a parent with a kid in elementary school I don't even want to know what it will be like in another 10yrs when they graduate.

The local public school system has now decided they won't have letter grades until after 4th grade. Basically the kids get either an 'S' for Satisfactory or 'N' for Needs Improvement....

originally posted by: Brotherman

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Brotherman

By finish line do you mean enter the workforce or graduate?

That's up to the individual.

I think that the competition in education should reflect the competition in the work force scenario.

Then a GPA is irrelevant. The GPA only matters when going on to pursue higher education. Otherwise, on-the-job training is more important and someone's GPA will not correlate to a better ability to train on the job.

Sounds to me like you are making the case to do away with the competition and focus on actual education/training.

Ok fine, how is this then, why does the school offer coarse's they believe does not benefit a students future in the first place?

They should offer courses and let the students/parents choose the best ones that fit their goal, as many do now. If they want to win 1st place in the popularity contest, take the floater classes.

Otherwise, they should choose to take courses that fit their future education/training/development.

All I have to say is I'm glad my wife and I home-school our son.

All these "followers" will need a leader.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
All I have to say is I'm glad my wife and I home-school our son.

All these "followers" will need a leader.

In my experience, home schooled kids lack in two major areas:

Basic scientific principles and personal skills.

They are sheltered and have not learned how to deal with the world outside their little boxes that have been created for them.

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: DBCowboy
All I have to say is I'm glad my wife and I home-school our son.

All these "followers" will need a leader.

In my experience, home schooled kids lack in two major areas:

Basic scientific principles and personal skills.

They are sheltered and have not learned how to deal with the world outside their little boxes that have been created for them.

Then you need to get out more.

hahaha

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: Brotherman

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Brotherman

By finish line do you mean enter the workforce or graduate?

That's up to the individual.

I think that the competition in education should reflect the competition in the work force scenario.

Then a GPA is irrelevant. The GPA only matters when going on to pursue higher education. Otherwise, on-the-job training is more important and someone's GPA will not correlate to a better ability to train on the job.

Sounds to me like you are making the case to do away with the competition and focus on actual education/training.

Ok fine, how is this then, why does the school offer coarse's they believe does not benefit a students future in the first place?

They should offer courses and let the students/parents choose the best ones that fit their goal, as many do now. If they want to win 1st place in the popularity contest, take the floater classes.

Otherwise, they should choose to take courses that fit their future education/training/development.

So by choosing courses that elevate their GPA they are wrong but choosing courses that fit their future is good? What does that mean exactly and what is the difference? I mean since jobs are getting more competitive to get so should education, basic education (grade school) is exactly that basic, but it is a milestone into higher education, a higher GPA leads to better odds of acceptance and funding to higher learning. Why does the school offer classes they feel are too easy for kids that just want a higher GPA if what they say in the OP is true? Why not make the education more difficult instead of lowering a long held standard and goal for many students, why?

originally posted by: DBCowboy
All I have to say is I'm glad my wife and I home-school our son.

All these "followers" will need a leader.

I hope your kid gets "B's" too mwahahahaha

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: introvert

originally posted by: DBCowboy
All I have to say is I'm glad my wife and I home-school our son.

All these "followers" will need a leader.

In my experience, home schooled kids lack in two major areas:

Basic scientific principles and personal skills.

They are sheltered and have not learned how to deal with the world outside their little boxes that have been created for them.

Then you need to get out more.

hahaha

Actually, I bet your kid needs to get out more. Home schooled kids and social skills have been a huge topic of debate and concern. Their education is very sterilized and does not fulfill the need for social education.

a reply to: Brotherman

Valedictorian is not a standard. It is a prize for first place.

That does not mean they will be as successful or can adapt to higher education/the workplace better than those that came right behind them.

a reply to: introvert

Your concern is touching.

But I will not justify nor list the curriculum to a stranger on the internet who has an immediate bias against myself, my family.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: introvert

Your concern is touching.

But I will not justify nor list the curriculum to a stranger on the internet who has an immediate bias against myself, my family.

No justification needed. You choose to do what you do.

But you should not judge others when they decide education is a bit more than a simple competition.

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: xuenchen

Competition was getting unhealthy, the chair of the school board explained, and students were setting a goal of getting the highest GPA instead of taking classes that might help them in the future. Thus, the board reasoned, it was better to bolster the Latin honor system and do away with the first and second place honors.

Sounds good to me. They are still getting recognition for their accomplishments, but not focusing on the 1st/2nd garbage.

Education is not like a Nascar race.

You came in third didn't you?

Honestly, who really worried about that in high school? I never stressed over it. I did the best I could, and I always figured if that happened, it happened. I'd let it take care of itself. What kind of loser worried obsessively over trying to be the very best academic out of 100+ of his peers over the course of years?

There is healthy success and there is setting yourself up for failure success. No one I know, not even the ones who were in the running for it, spent too much time worrying about it.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Well your child better have art class or else the badger is coming over

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: DBCowboy

Well your child better have art class or else the badger is coming over

He's a better artist than I am.

a reply to: ketsuko

You came in third didn't you?

I tested out years early.

Honestly, who really worried about that in high school? I never stressed over it. I did the best I could, and I always figured if that happened, it happened. I'd let it take care of itself. What kind of loser worried obsessively over trying to be the very best academic out of 100+ of his peers over the course of years?

Some do, but I agree. It served no purpose to be #1 unless there is an ego to inflate.

There is healthy success and there is setting yourself up for failure success. No one I know, not even the ones who were in the running for it, spent too much time worrying about it.

Again, I agree.

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: DBCowboy

Well your child better have art class or else the badger is coming over

He's a better artist than I am.

The angry nasty ass honey badger is pleased that is awesome, may I suggest works by Bernini and also peter paul reubans, and for studies in contemporary art may I suggest Mike Hussar and Jenny Saville =D


M. Hussar
#ing awesome, claims he learned from the Italian masters from reading and studying their art, great wisdom in his words and a powerful and amazing artist

a reply to: Brotherman

I can tell you the difference.

There were at least three kids in the top 20 in my senior class who were not like the rest of us. Most of us took advanced track, college placement type courses - Chem I and II, Physics, Calculus, Bio I and II, College Bound English, etc. Those were not easy courses and you earned your grades in those classes. These three girls were taking things like Home Ec and other soft options.

While I was in Chem II lab and struggling to separate out about 16 different ions from solution, they were playing mother to eggs for a week.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Brotherman

I can tell you the difference.

There were at least three kids in the top 20 in my senior class who were not like the rest of us. Most of us took advanced track, college placement type courses - Chem I and II, Physics, Calculus, Bio I and II, College Bound English, etc. Those were not easy courses and you earned your grades in those classes. These three girls were taking things like Home Ec and other soft options.

While I was in Chem II lab and struggling to separate out about 16 different ions from solution, they were playing mother to eggs for a week.

Exactly.

a reply to: Brotherman

I think he'd really take to that.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Brotherman

I can tell you the difference.

There were at least three kids in the top 20 in my senior class who were not like the rest of us. Most of us took advanced track, college placement type courses - Chem I and II, Physics, Calculus, Bio I and II, College Bound English, etc. Those were not easy courses and you earned your grades in those classes. These three girls were taking things like Home Ec and other soft options.

While I was in Chem II lab and struggling to separate out about 16 different ions from solution, they were playing mother to eggs for a week.

Is there more opportunity in chemistry then in sewing?