Pasco County, as we know, is seriously rethinking the graduation ritual of honoring class valedictorians and salutatorians. It is either a pedagogical idea whose time has come or an affront to a tradition steeped in academic accomplishment.
I’ll opt for the former.
In simpler times (weren’t they always simpler?), you could quickly calculate GPAs and determine who topped the list. “Congrats, you’re the val; you’re the sal.”
These days the GPA could be the tip of an academic Rubik’s Cube. It means factoring in everything that generates high school credit: from courses taken in middle school to Advanced Placement and online courses. What of virtual school and dual enrollment scenarios? Are comparables being compared?
And what of students who ace everything, but their ace-ing is somewhat limited because of extracurricular activities and a part-time job?
If you can’t guarantee a level playing field, should you be playing this uber competitive game that separates winners and also-rans by hundredths of a point?