(Many students are # 1 as many get honor of ‘valedictorian’). An interesting article in today’s New York Times.

We knew this had to come. First came grade inflation. Then came plackards and trophies for everyone in soccer and volleyball and (you get the picture). Now we have not just one or two, but many, many valedictorians at our high school graduations?

Competition is hard. And yes, some get hurt and have feelings ruffled. But, tough competition is reality. Our nation is in the throws of it–given how the world is going now.

Are our high schools helping kids grow up or are they coddling them and interfering with their need to become successful adults?

Whither merit? competition? winning and losing? Ah, whither reality? Whither your thoughts on this?

About Miriam

Miriam Kurtzig Freedman, JD, MA—an expert in public education, focused on special education law— is a lawyer, author, speaker, consultant, and reformer. For more than 35 years, Miriam worked with educators, parents, policy makers, and citizens to translate complex legalese into plain English and focus on good practices for children. Now, she focuses her passion on reforming special education, with her new book, Special Education 2.0—Breaking Taboos to Build a NEW Education Law. Presentations include those at the AASA Conference, Orange County (CA), Boston College (MA), CADRE (OR), and the Fordham Institute (DC). Her writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Education Week, Education Next, Hoover Digest, The University of Chicago Law Review on line, DianeRavitch.net, and The Atlantic Monthly on line.

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