Maryland School Throws Party For ‘A’ Students, PC Police Freak Out
A Maryland middle school decided to host a party for straight A students. The incentive gathering included pizza, a DJ, and a game room. What should have been viewed as a nice reward for the academic achievers instead sparked a plethora of backlash from the political correctness contingent and those who think everyone should be handed a trophy, regardless of ability.
A local newspaper reported that 306 of the 865 member student population is being “left out” of the Maryland middle school party. Students with B and C average were invited to attend the gathering once the pizza portion and classes were over. During a segment of the Neil Cavuto show on Fox News, one of the guests chastised the Maryland straight A’s party because other children who were “trying hard” and students with disabilities would feel left out. Children in special education programs are given adapted work commiserate with their abilities and graded accordingly, therefore such a student would still have been eligible to munch on pizza and dance with peers in the school gym.
The Academic Achievement Celebration at Eastern Middle School in Silver Springs is scheduled to take place the last period of the school day. Professor Barbara Marinak studies student motivation and feels that the party creates a cast system that could “easily result in bullying and victimization.” School PTSA Presidenet Chris Rutledge disagrees. “I think it’s a two-fold process. The school has to, and does, help all children to strive to excel. And when they do, it’s important to recognize them,” he said.
Patting everyone on the back and attempting to make life fair deprives modern children of the chance to fail and learn from their mistakes. Children will not be scarred for life if they do not get an award for merely showing up and donning a jersey nor will they feel ashamed if not included in a pizza party. Mrs. Vicki Boston, one of the best teachers I ever had the pleasure to learn from and ultimately work with, knew how to motivate and reward students properly. Each week we had to stand up in her classroom and recite a portion of the multiplication table. If we did it correctly we received a star on a chart, got our name in a monthly prize drawing, and moved onto the next number. Students who did not pass the weekly trial did not run away and cry, nor did their parents come to school to complain. Quite the contrary, they studied harder, practiced their multiplication tables, and once they achieved their goals, they wore a true expression of pride on their faces. Mrs. Libby Watkins ran the same type of classroom, and we all thrived due her straight forward expectations and rewards policy.
I do not recall Mrs. Boston, Mrs. Watkins, or any of my other teachers, having any bullying or victimization problems due to academic and behavior incentives. But then again, I grew up during the “sticks and stones will break your bones …” era. Tattle-telling was strictly discouraged. If the claim did not involve blood, broken bones, or vomit you were told to go work it out amongst yourselves – and we always did.
An amazing middle school principal and retired Marine, Dee Caudill, also initiated an achievement program similar to the Maryland straight A’s party. Once a grading period every student who made straight A’s and had not been in trouble at school was named to the Principal’s List. Mr. Caudill would load the kids up in a school bus, sometimes two busloads, and have them driven to the local McDonald’s for lunch. What happened to the children who did not make the list you wonder? Well, they worked harder the next grading period and congratulated their peers who got out of eating school cafeteria for a day.
How do you feel about the Maryland straight A’s pizza party and dance?
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