Kids are too stressed out in schools today - but getting rid of recognition for students who overcome that stress and accomplish great things isn't the solution.
The backstory: A young man named Josh had worked incredibly hard in high school and had earned his way to the status of Valedictorian - the person with the highest GPA and most accomplishments in his class. (In some areas Valedictorian status is awarded at graduation based only on GPA, in others it is determined through a combination of GPA and other accomplishments). He had held down a job, achieved a remarkable GPA, been a standout athlete, and had been involved in numerous clubs. However, despite the fact that his school always awarded Valedictorian status, this year they refused to.
What did this young man do to deserve losing this honor he had spent four years earning. Nothing. The school system decided to simply stop awarding Valedictorians. They still told him he had the highest GPA of his class, they simply did not call that achievement "Valedictorian". He also was not given the usual distinctions, like a medal or special certificate, to signify his achievement. Although it was the school district's decision to stop awarding the distinction, Josh's school in particular decided to stop giving the award this year, rather than starting next year as the rest of the district will.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/e176d77e-7d0e-3a8b-9ad7-6833eb887580/ss_dad-buys-billboard-for-son.html
What is the motivation behind this? I don't want to assume too much, but there is clearly some ideological purpose behind this.
As one commenter said "It seems it has become politically incorrect to recognize excellence and hard work in this country. Competing for recognition on the field of sports or in academics pushes people toward higher achievement."
I fear that this may indeed be the motivation behind this decision - the idea that one student being recognized for remarkable achievement may cause other students to feel worse about themselves. The solution there is to help other students realize that their value is not tied to this one award - frankly so many elements go into getting a high GPA that there is a degree of luck involved in becoming Valedictorian. However, gaining that distinction universally requires a lot of effort simply to have a chance. There is no need to punish those who do best in order to make everyone else feel better. This seems like a strange idea that I see far too often on the Left, that somehow others enjoying good things and rewards is a cause for us to be upset. Let other people be happy!
It is necessary to take into account how different people have different levels of opportunity in their lives in order to be honest with ourselves about how success works. I'm definitely not one of these people who thinks that "if you work hard you'll make it". It is so much more complicated for people who have to deal with poverty, mental illness, disability, or any other unique challenge. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't reward those who do work hard and are successful. Even with a relatively privileged life, becoming a Valedictorian takes real effort. The school system doesn't have the ability to fix these inequalities, so they shouldn't pretend to. Working hard doesn't guarantee success, but it is a necessary ingredient for success.
Fortunately, the boy's father took the incredible step of actually buying a billboard advertisement to reward his son. This might be a bit over the top, but I think it is ultimately good to reward kids who work hard. As another commenter remarked: His experience as Valedictorian was one of the highlights of his life, and one of his most cherished memories. Let's not take that away from kids.