RuCo to toughen valedictorian policy

Beginning with the graduating class of 2013, Rutherford County Schools plans to toughen its policy on recipients of the honor of valedictorian. After RCS seven (7) high schools producing fifty-seven (57) valedictorian in the graduating class of 2008, Rutherford County School Board Chairman Mark Byrnes decided it was “almost getting silly.” (This figure equates to roughly 8 valedictorians per school.)

Just as the state toughens graduation requirements for incoming freshmen, Rutherford has set stricter standards for achieving the top distinction for the class of 2013. The district’s new policy will limit the valedictorian title to fewer students and possibly just one, though college admissions experts say it doesn’t carry the weight it used to.

Nashville-area school districts generally only graduate one valedictorian and one salutatorian per high school because they calculate grade point averages down to a specific decimal. Rutherford doesn’t, and that won’t change. But the valedictorian and salutatorian will also have to take 12 honors or higher-level courses and fulfill requirements recently set by the state for graduating with “honors” and with “distinction.”

Critics of awarding large numbers of valedictorian honors argue that it detracts from the prestige of the award.

I distinctly remember the class of 2005 at Blackman High School graduating a hand full of valedictorians, which I thought was absurd. What I found particularly detracting from the honor, however, was that one student in the group of high-achievers had taken all standard courses in order to receive the award.

For those of you who are not familiar with standard courses in Rutherford County high schools: one could probaly be illiterate and get an “A” in a standard English class. These classes are essentially fail-proof – and you really even have to try hard to make anything lower than a “B”.

I applaud RCS Chairman Mark Byrnes for addressing this important issue.