There Can Be Only 44
Seattlest nearly spit up our tall decaf americano (not really, we’re just keeping it folksy today) when we learned via the Seattle Times that Garfield High is fielding a grand total of 44 valedictorians this year.
Granted, Garfield is a jewel in the crown of Seattle Public Schools. Founded in 1923, Garfield is the alma mater of Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Lee, and its multicultural success has done a lot to keep Seattle out of the strictly whitebread aisle.
But 44 valedictorians is unseemly, even accounting for all the AP students who attend Garfield. At least in part, the rash of four-year straight-As must depend upon Garfield not distinguishing between an A-, A, or A+.
The Times story quotes this guy for background on that:
Thomas Guskey, a University of Kentucky education professor, said that in schools that use decimal grading, the GPAs of top students may differ by only a hundredth of a percentage point. And he said that parents unhappy with such hair-splitting have taken their complaints to court.
How does track and field manage, Seattlest wonders. Is Tim Montgomery going to sue Asafa Powell for claiming to be the 100 meter world record holder when Tim ran 9.78 and Asafa just ran it in 9.77?
As the big controversy at Garfield now revolves around whether to let all 44 valedictorians speak “briefly” (potentially equaling a Fidel Castro speech in length), Seattlest respectfully declines any invitations to the commencement ceremony.
