The Creeping Madness
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- 12/4/2007 |
- 10:00 am
It's happening slowly, but surely. It started with one whine, and has now spread. The latest to succumb? Boulder Valley Schools. Bravo to their school board; they have now joined the ranks of the spineless and misdirected. How, you ask? Prepare to be disgusted...
In the last few years an extremely vocal minority has chirped and whined about almost every aspect of our lives, and the rest of us - the silent majority - sit on our hands and take it. The latest example comes courtesy of the Boulder Valley school board, which recently voted to eliminate the naming of a valedictorian among their graduating seniors, beginning with the lucky class of 2010.
Tsk, tsk, we can't have "unhealthy competition," they say. It's not fair. If everyone can't be school valedictorian, then nobody can be valedictorian. We're all the same, don't cha know? Besides, it will scar every kid who doesn't reach the top rung.
Hmm. Should we assume that athletic events involving all Boulder schools will now eliminate the scoreboard? Oh, no. Will the orchestra soon feature twenty-seven kids holding down first chair in the violin section? Nope.
But academics? Shame on us for encouraging young people to exercise their minds, for instilling a sense of intellectual accomplishment, for - gasp! - rewarding young people who think! Forget that nonsense, son, go score me a touchdown!
Boulder schools will now go to a quota system. The top twenty percent of students will receive a ribbon, or a gold star, a trophy, or something. But no winner. As one of the principals said, "This honors more kids."
News flash: When everyone is special, no one is special.
I've listened to the Boulder school board's reasoning, I've read their comments, and I could not disagree more fervently. Yet, while I'm confident that I speak for the majority of people, there will be no public outcry. Why? Because these movements always combat such responses with vicious attacks that call into question a naysayer's values and compassion. Nobody wants to be a hater, right?
So we roll over and take it.
This is damaging to kids. Academic honors are dwindling, and the message we're presenting to impressionable young minds is "don't bother trying to achieve...just coast along."
For the record: I graduated 23rd in a class of 520. To this day I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.
