Friday, June 3, 2011

Honor Roll ? Really?

I am kind of gonna vent here, so don't say I didn't warn you.

M came home from school today talking about how he was on the honor roll.  As a mother, I was very proud.  After we cleaned out the backpack and threw away all the meaningless paper, we finally got to the one piece of information I was looking for, The Report Card.

So I am very excited to report he was promoted for 4th grade.  This is a great thing.  I know he is a very smart child, he is on the "Honor Roll" Right?  So I am looking through his grades and they are all B's and one A.  ALL B's and one A.  HONOR ROLL?  I am thinking HOW is that HONOR ROLL?  I was never on the Honor Roll.  NEVER!  And I made all B's most of the time.  In Catholic School, I made C's and B's.  Once I switched to public school I was B's and A's.  NEVER GOT ON THE HONOR ROLL.  I was ranked 210 our of almost 900 kids in high school.  I am not really a math genius but that is pretty good statistically.   It is in the top 1/2 and in the low end of the top 1/4.  But I was still not on the HONOR ROLL.

To me Honor Roll was all A's.  Not all B's and an A.  All A's.  Have we all really lowered our standards that much?  Don't get me wrong, I am happy for my son.  But if we lower our standards just so we can all have the title, then what's the point of having standards.  

At the school the kids are going to they have these tags the kids earn though out the year.  They are called Brag Tags.  If the child has a birthday, they get a "Brag Tag".  If they get student of the month, they get a "Brag Tag".  If they earn recognition in anyway, they get a "Brag Tag".  M got an Honor Roll "Brag Tag".  He also got special recognition for Creative Writing, and Being on the ALL STAR team.  All Star is when the teacher nominates you for leadership in some way.  I am very proud of him for all he has achieved this year.   I am however very much in disagreement with this districts standards.

I want my children to strive for high standards.  Once you are given credit for achievement, what is next?  So my 9 year old thinks he is on the Honor Roll.  In his mind, he has made it.   Is there High, Higher and Highest Honor Roll and he is only on the Honor Roll?  I guess it's better than Not being on the Honor Roll at all.  Or is it?

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