by Kerry Dougherty
Congratulations, Virginia Beach voters. You did it!
By electing a handful of common-sense school board members to join the duo who were already on the board, you began the process of bringing back excellence to students in the Resort City.
Board veterans Vicky Manning and Carolyn Weens needed more allies in their tireless battle on behalf of Beach students.
The last school board was on a mission to dumb down the best schools in Hampton Roads. To a great extent, they succeeded.
The new board — including old members who suddenly saw the light — voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to reverse the stupidity and return sanity to Beach schools.
It starts with the reinstatement of valedictorians and salutatorians. And making class rank available again to interested students and their parents.
Five years ago, with just three votes in opposition, the lunatic woke majority voted to end the long-standing tradition of honoring the top students at graduation by awarding them the distinction of being valedictorians and salutatorians. Along with that, they did away with class rankings.
It wasn’t FAIR, you see. It created what one assistant principal — who has no business being in education — described as “competition and unhealthy habits.”
What unhealthy habits? Studying instead of spending spare time on TikTok or playing video games?
The system was especially unfair to underachievers. How could they be expected to feel good about themselves knowing they weren’t the smartest or second-smartest kid in their class? And think of their hurt feelings when they learned they were actually at the bottom of their class, after not turning in assignments and failing test after test.
Class rank was abolished supposedly because of the inequities created by advanced academic classes that were weighted and gave those students higher GPAs.
Blah, blah, blah.
If none of what the old board did makes sense to you, don’t worry. It simply shows that you attended schools where learning and achievement were celebrated. And where competition was encouraged and rewarded.
On Tuesday night, on a vote of 10-1 the school board reinstated valedictorians and salutatorians and will make class rank available to families who care about achievement. The changes will take effect in 2024.
Who was the lone opponent?
Jessica Owens. She reportedly wanted to wait four years to bring back excellence.
Puh-leez.
Republished with permission from Kerry: Unedited and Unemployed.
