Don't diminish individual successes

No matter how you couch it, our culture does not place great value on intelligence and academic achievement, and we are paying for this by falling further and further behind in the global economy.

Attend a high school graduation ceremony and listen for recognition of the class valedictorian. Odds are you will hear no mention of one. Educators are phasing out this honor so students can focus on learning, rather than on who is No. 1.

Imagine the hue and cry among parents if coaches no longer recognized Most Valuable Players and stopped pursuing state championships so students could enjoy playing the game, rather than focusing on the score and their stats.

When we refuse to recognize individual excellence, whether in the classroom or on the athletic field, we do our students a disservice. We teach them that one person's success diminishes another's when our nation's future depends on their understanding that it makes us all stronger.

Making everyone "average" or "mediocre"may be politically correct, but it will not restore us to our former place on the world stage. Former President George W. Bush inadvertently illustrated this point in his 2001 commencement speech at his alma mater, Yale University.

"To those of you who've received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say well done; and to the C students, I say, you too can be President of the United States."

Sheryl Jedlinski

Palatine