No more valedictorians?

[Scout26]

I'm not sure I even get the point of a valedictorian, nor of the pomp and circumstance of graduating high school.   

Back when the vast majority of people dropped out of school in the 6th or 7th grade (and were light years smarter then today's college graduates) making it all the way through was quite the achievement.  My Uncle on my father's side was the first in his family to ever graduate from High School.   My Dad showed me his report cards once.  Latin, Calculus, World History (and not the crap they pass off today), Rhetoric and like.  What would be considered college courses (or higher) today, he was taking in his Freshman year of High School. Something like 46 people graduated in his class, out of well over 300 (or 400) students.   

[Firethorn]

Back when the vast majority of people dropped out of school in the 6th or 7th grade (and were light years smarter then today's college graduates) making it all the way through was quite the achievement.  My Uncle on my father's side was the first in his family to ever graduate from High School.   My Dad showed me his report cards once.  Latin, Calculus, World History (and not the crap they pass off today), Rhetoric and like.  What would be considered college courses (or higher) today, he was taking in his Freshman year of High School. Something like 46 people graduated in his class, out of well over 300 (or 400) students.   

I'd tend to say that people are, on average, better educated today than they were previously.  But it's come at massive cost.

[Hawkmoon]

I'd tend to say that people are, on average, better educated today than they were previously.  But it's come at massive cost.

I would have to disagree with you. On average, the typical American today has the intellect and education of a turnip. Twenty-five years ago I was in charge of hiring for a national A/E (Architecture and Engineering) firm. Many of the resumes and cover letters we received were evidence of functional illiteracy. We had Ivy League graduates working for us who couldn't write a simple report on field observations from a building site. It was painful.

And I'm certain it's even worse today.

[SteveS]

I would have to disagree with you. On average, the typical American today has the intellect and education of a turnip. Twenty-five years ago I was in charge of hiring for a national A/E (Architecture and Engineering) firm. Many of the resumes and cover letters we received were evidence of functional illiteracy. We had Ivy League graduates working for us who couldn't write a simple report on field observations from a building site. It was painful.

And I'm certain it's even worse today.

I went to grad school in the early 90s and there was a research paper (dissertation-lite) component. The department felt it was necessary to warn students about common grammar mistakes and handed out a paper that explained the difference between to, too, and two, and other errors that some people make. A lot of us chuckled, but it was sad to consider that the school felt it necessary to take this kind of action.

[RoadKingLarry]

And I'm certain it's even worse today.

Well, it certainly hasn't gotten any better.
Basic literacy is only a small part of the failing of our public education system. I can't count the number of people I know that are clueless about simple math things like balancing a checkbook.
No concept of US history, let alone world history. No grasp of what I call "kitchen table physics", hard things like gravity and inertia.
 

[KD5NRH]

I would have to disagree with you. On average, the typical American today has the intellect and education of a turnip. Twenty-five years ago I was in charge of hiring for a national A/E (Architecture and Engineering) firm. Many of the resumes and cover letters we received were evidence of functional illiteracy. We had Ivy League graduates working for us who couldn't write a simple report on field observations from a building site. It was painful.

I had the opportunity to read over some papers for a Lit&Comp II class a couple years ago.  My 5th grade teacher would have failed every one of them without hesitation.

By comparison, a friend who asked me to turn her essay on an art exhibit into something she'd be willing to hand in had one grammatical error and two misspellings in five single spaced pages.  No other issues, and the writing style was impressively engaging considering my lack of interest in the art in question.  Mainly because she still spends a lot of her spare time reading instead of watching mindless drivel on TV.

[Hawkmoon]

No grasp of what I call "kitchen table physics", hard things like gravity and inertia.

Silly person. Gravity isn't hard. It's things like concrete and stones and wood floors that are hard.

[HeroHog]

My Sr class load: PE and Welding class. I went 1/2 the year and finished the Welding class and Coach let me out of PE so I could work, besides, I was 6'1" @ 215 lbs and wasn't fat. I wasn't fast but I was strong and tough as nails. I gave my Homeroom teacher a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and asked her to mail my diploma to me and that was the last I saw of my High School.

Me in 1974, a Jr in High School

[Fly320s]

Put me in the class of "high school doesn't matter."  And for college, that doesn't matter after your first or second job.

I was a solid C student at all times, yet I still managed to achieve my career goals.  It aint about the grades, people.