A seemingly unpopular idea to remove valedictorians and salutatorians from graduating classes in Pasco County Schools is now gone.
Superintendent Kurt Browning issued a letter to the media Tuesday night, saying he is abandoning any further efforts at this time to explore the place singling out the top academic performers in each class has in education overall.
“After much reflection and discussion, I have made the decision to preserve the valedictorian and salutatorian titles while we look at the underlying issues with our grading and grade weighting processes,” Browning wrote. “The (student progression plan) the school board will consider at next Tuesday’s final public hearing will not include the original recommendation to remove the val/sal titles.”
Browning said his position on the matter was mischaracterized on a local television station, which generated a number of emails coming out against it. The interview took place after the school board’s first public hearing on revisions to the student progression plan, which at the time included removing valedictorian and salutatorian titles.
“I want Pasco principals, school leaders and teachers to know that I still think changing how we honor our best and brightest is the right thing to do,” Browning said, “I believe there is a better way to recognize the highest achievers, encourage more students to strive for excellence, and eliminate the practice of recognizing only two students per school … year.”
Browning, however, wanted to make it clear that he did not advocate “giving a trophy to every student.”
The issue might be dead for now, but Browning said he plans to resurrect it next year when it comes time to talk about the 2015-16 school year. By then, he is hoping that a panel of academic experts will have weighed in with recommendations for improvement.
In the meantime, principals at Pasco schools have the flexibility to determine how valedictorians and salutatorians will be recognized and who will speak at graduation, Browning said. He also encouraged those principals to consider using titles similar to what colleges use like cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude, which he had advocated in his student progression plan.
The board will meet once again on the student progression plan Aug. 12 at 9:30 a.m., in Land O’ Lakes.
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