Get Schooled

By thomas

March 25, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this

Many of these awards are meaningful awards. Not every school gets recognized in a positive manner. The reality is that there are a LOT of lousy and mediocre schools at there.

Students should be recognized and honored for their accomplishments. It rewards a job well done.

By OldSchool

March 25, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

No one seems to have a problem with tons of athletic awards being presented ad nauseum all during the year. Why even question any valid academic related recognition?

Then there are the amazing things our CTAE students are accomplishing that are rarely applauded.

By HS Teacher Too

March 25, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

If they earn it, I support it. I’m with OldSchool on this as far as non-athletic recognition.

What I don’t support is the phenomenon of every little league player getting a trophy. I think we still ought to maintain some requirement of earning whatever award there may be.

By Jeff

March 25, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

Randolph County Schools hold a number of ‘Title 1 with Distinction’ and ‘School of Excellence’ honors.

Yet their SIXTH GRADERS can’t manipulate fractions. (Nor barely do anything with DECIMALS.)

Enough said.

By Stacey

March 25, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

I’ve seen all of these award plaques and such at my son’s school and since it’s a good school, I was proud. Now you guys are making say “hmmm”.

When my son was “Student of the Month” at his school, I didn’t know it until his teacher mentioned it during a parent/teacher conference in the middle of the month. His teacher encouraged him to show me his picture on the “Wall of Fame” and as we were walking there I asked why he hadn’t mentioned the award. He said he figured it wasn’t a big deal because “Jane” was student of the month the month before and she gets blues and reds on her behavior report everyday. Sure enough, when we got to the “Wall of Fame”, each class (not grade) has a SOM each month! Even the kids aren’t impressed.

By V for Vendetta

March 25, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

Both OldSchool and Jeff make good points.

Too often we reward mediocrity and stupidity just to let some pathetic loser feel good about himself for five seconds. What a waste.

But for the kids who are truly deserving, I feel that recognition is important and deserved. I’m happy to applaud an impressive achievement, but I’m just as quick to bemoan praise pandering. (That’s my coined term, you may use it if you like!)

:-)

By L.King

March 25, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

Why not? If the schools/teachers/students/parents earned it, why not? The public gives education a black eye every chance it gets why not reward people for their accomplishments. It gives people more motivation for doing the right things.

By mmm

March 25, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this

I’m of two minds on this one. There are so many similarly named awards that it gets difficult to know what is and isn’t a big deal. Yes some of them are a big deal—and Stacy’s son figured it out. If each and every kid is awarded in rotation, than it doesn’t mean much. There is even a great quote by “Dash” in the Incredibles movie: “When everyone is special, no one is.”

Why do we have special awards for title 1 schools? For the same reason we have special olympics—because high poverty places don’t usually do so well academically—but if we put them in a special group together we can have another group of “winners”.

By jim d

March 25, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

Yeah, an award and an attaboy go a long way towards appeasing parents.

By jim d

March 25, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this

I believe it was the highly acclamied composer charles Ives that was once qouted as saying—“Awards are merely the badges of mediocrity.”

By jim d

March 25, 2008 1:39 PM | Link to this

Oh yeah and I just recalled these famous words from our fearless leader. (LOL)

“To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.”

George W. Bush

By posterchild

March 25, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this

Not sure if anyone has mentioned/seen it already, but if you’re feeling saucy, Opinion Talk has a really fun blog about homeschooling today.

By HS Teacher Too

March 25, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this

mmm, I agree with you on the dual aspects of this problem.

It’s the same, to me, as giving an academic achievement award in a college prep class, or a tech class, when there are honors and gifted classes in the same subjects. Some teachers argue every year that the awards should be limited to the top kids in the top classes; but the counter is that in the other groups there are still people achieving within that realm, and the little carrots serve motivational purposes. It depends on how hard-line one wants to be.

I suppose it goes back, for me, to at least making the kid earn it in some way other than showing up, or being “next in line.”

Besides, everyone knows that the kid who gets the CP math award isn’t doing the same work as the kid who earns the AP Math award. But in their worlds, both kids are achieving, so what’s the harm? I guess on a grander scale it’s like saying we will only recognize valedictorians from Harvard, b/c everyplace else is sub-par anyway. But in reality, it’s still an achievement to be valedictorian at, say, Middle Georgia College.

By OldSchool

March 25, 2008 6:39 PM | Link to this

I have an award honoring a wonderful young man who, after a year of goofing off and being a general pain, came to me and told me he was going to be the “best drafter I ever had.” I looked him square in the eye and said, “Do it and THEN talk about it.”

He did.

My “New Leaf” certificate goes to any student who makes a full 180 and becomes the kind of student who becomes self-motivated, self-starting, fully engaged, and merits a letter of recommendation to an employer. That student’s name and the school year are written on an oak leaf and taped to my markerboard frame. I also print a certificate.

But like leaves in the real world, if that student falls down on the job, the leaf falls too and is not replaced. In the 18 years I’ve awarded leaves, none of the 20 or so have fallen.

Simple and huge all at once…for both of us.

By Tony

March 25, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this

OldSchool’s point should be well taken. This is the one trait that sets American schools apart from all other countries. We give opportunities for people who make turn around choices in their lives. Our students are not locked into the consequences of a one-time test or some other artificial barrier. For someone who truly decides to turn his or her life around, they are able to do so.

For those who make C’s in high school or college and then suddenly realize they can make a difference, they are able to do so. And, jim d, believe it or not, some of the C students work dam hard to get thoses grades and often are better able to use what they have learned.

Charles Ives’ quote is based more on his ability to be self-satisfied without the need for external authentication. It’s a good thing, too, because his music is not easy to listen to. In the music world, most music that people enjoy hearing is mediocre, at best. Listening to American Idol and other pop culture tells this very clearly.

In schools, recognizing students for jobs well done go far in creating a positive culture. It is great for boards of education to honor and recognize schools, teachers and students for the good things they do.

By Marta

March 26, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this

My daughter’s elementary school insisted that every child receive an award at the award’s day ceremony. One child received an award for napping. Attending the ceremony was like visiting Lake Wobegone, where all the children are above average. Actual achievement and “napping” achievement were placed at the same level.

By jim d

March 26, 2008 8:10 AM | Link to this

Tony,

no problem with the C students (I was one) —I just get a chuckle anytime fearless leader speaks.

as for ives, indeed he had to feel self satisfaction without the accolades since his genius is only being recognized now, 50 years after his death. In his day he was in fact considered rather radical—which brings up another point. The radical youth we speak of today may well be recognized for their genius 50 years from now.