Many of us believe that failure is highly underrated, that inherent in a dismal showing are lessons to be learned.  But in a number of districts across the country, failure’s reach is limited by design.

For instance, many Texas districts establish minimum grades of 50, 60, or even 70 for assignments and report cards.  In other words, fail, then get a grade boost.

Apparently, such administrators believe that by thus helping students bypass failure, they will feel better about themselves, work harder, and meet success.

If only it were that simple.  Unfortunately, many kids figure out the system and play it like a fiddle, getting away with minimal effort, yet receiving the same grade as other students who work their butts off to pass.

Down there in Texas, Republican Jane Nelson doesn’t think that’s fair, so last year she sponsored legislation to prevent districts from setting these minimum grades, and her efforts are supported by the state’s education commissioner, Robert Scott.

National Education Association-Dallas board member, Diane Birdwell agrees and says, “We have now raised a group of students through the school system that know if you do nothing, you get a 50.  I don’t know any job that pays me half my salary for doing nothing.”

The districts in question are fighting back, though, so stay tuned.  Hopefully, they’ll lose in court, so that  whatever students earn ends up being the grades that appear on their assignments, tests, and report cards.

In the good old days, the top grade earner in any given senior class, in any given year, was always #1–a singular distinction that came with the title valedictorian.  Come in second and be named salutatorian.  But these are new days and the old rules apparently don’t apply anymore.  Which, to my way of thinking, is a shame.

Nowadays, competition is getting a bad rap and self-esteem considerations reign with the result that, across the country, schools are naming multiple valedictorians.  Really.

Take for example:

• Stratford High School (Houston suburbs) honored 30 valedictorians this year–6.5% of the senior class!
• Harrison High School (north of NYC) named 13 valedictorians in a class of 221 students.
• St. Vrain Valley District (Colorado)  named 94 valedictorians!

As reported by Winnie Hu in her “How Many Graduates Does It Take to Be No.1,” Don Haddad, St. Vrain Valley District’s superintendent said, “We have not lowered the bar to achieve more valedictorians.  More kids are now getting over the bar.”

I just don’t see it that way.  To my way of thinking, doing so dilutes the distinction usually attributed to that honor, laying it to waste.

In the real world, there will always be a top dog, a numero uno, a star who steals the show–but, apparently, that’s a lesson a number of our schools refuse to teach.