Health & Fitness
How Many Valedictorians Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?
I am surprised at how the term "Valedictorian" is watered down. I first looked at the graduating class of Dana Hills—nearly 15% of the class was titled "Valedictorian."
Congratulations to this year's graduating class of 2012. I love looking at the names, picking many out who are memorable as clients, and praying for them collectively as they embark on owning their own opinions, behaviors, faiths, and accomplishments.
Every year however, I am surprised at how the term “Valedictorian” is watered down. Because I live and work in Dana Point, I first looked at the graduating class—nearly 15 percent of the class was titled “Valedictorian” and another 15 percent was ranked No. 2 with a GPA of 3.5-3.99. I looked at the other schools in the district, and the ratios were about the same. Of course, there are ALWAYS standouts who SHOULD be given special recognition, but like the number of entertainment awards shows now on TV, does the TRUE super achiever really stand out?
In our local public high schools, where “AP” has come to mean “any pupil” rather than Advanced Placement, and students are ranked in deciles rather than true academic rankings, is it any wonder that our kids are blindsided by the real world—that there is no prize for 50th best, or that being the winner means that you performed better than everyone else. What is the point of the “everyone gets a Trophy” thinking anyway???
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Two of our CUSD schools have the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, yet very few take advantage of that. In the eyes of selective colleges, these are like “AP on steroids and the IB program is VERY expensive to administer. For those parents who see the value, they are HAPPY to pitch in and pay for it, but are not “allowed” to (but we won’t get into that hot potato now).
In a nutshell, it is important to have our students challenge themselves…and recognize that there is reward for excellence in the “real world”, and that “good enough” will only continue to bring the performance bar down.
Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
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