RSSIpswich Middle School Principal Fabrizio Cancels ‘Honors Night’ Because It Might Upset & Be “Devastating” to Students Who Didn’t Make The Grade
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COUNTRY I GREW UP IN: EDUCATION HONOR EDITION:
What is going on in out schools? The latest head scratching incident comes from Ipswich, Massachusetts. David Fabrizio, Ipswich Middle School Principal, has canceled ‘Honors Night’ because it might make some students feel uncomfortable and upset who did not make the grade. ARE YOU SERIOUS? David Fabrizio wrote in a letter sent to parents that, “honors night, which can be a great sense of pride for the recipients’ families, can also be devastating to a child …” INCREDIBLE. Devastating to average students, are you friggin stupid? How about devastating to those who actually made the effort to succeed? This is what passes as a principal into today’s liberal public schools. They care more about how some one feels who fails, rather than rewarding those who actually succeed. I would ask this foolish and misguided principal, why give grades? Schools are supposed to uplift students, not gum down the education to the lowest common denominator. Let’s celebrate underachieving, way to go Principal Fabrizio. Welcome to the Nanny state collective, where liberals think its only fair that all are treated the same, even though all do not put forth the same effort.
In a letter sent home to parents last week, Fabrizio said that it is the school’s job to monitor both academic and social emotional growth. Concentrating on grades, “as strange as it sounds, can impinge upon the learning process,” he wrote.
“The honors night, which can be a great sense of pride for the recipients’ families, can also be devastating to a child who has worked extremely hard in a difficult class but who, despite growth, has not been able to maintain a high grade point average,” Fabrizio wrote.
Fabrizio emphasized that the school hasn’t ended honors recognition and that it believes in high achievement in all aspects of students’ lives.
“We are still honoring success, we are just doing it in a different form,” he said.
However, the idea of ending honors night isn’t sitting well with many parents.
“I think the school should be committed to excellence and not mediocrity,” Gillis said. “I was shocked because to get on the honor roll, you have to work hard. They shouldn’t cancel (honors night) because somebody’s feelings could be hurt. Life is a competition, and they should start competing.”
Kevin Whooley, who has a daughter in eighth grade, said many parents are “dumbfounded” as to why the honors night needed to be canceled.
“They have had honors night here for years, and there is no reason not to continue it,” he said. “It is like having a sports banquet for those who play sports. Not everyone makes honors. You can’t be politically correct about everything.”
I remember a world, not too long ago, where schools rewarded students who showed effort and success. I remember an academic environment when those who went the extra mile were rewarded for their merit. Not in today’s Middle School academia. What a message this sends to an impressionable child at such a young age … STRIVE TO BE AVERAGE.
We second the idea of the Jawa Report and contact this school and let them know your opinion. This school is not doing their students any favors. What a message, Let’s be average. The contact Info, in case you want to let this Principal know how stupid and unfair this policy is to the children who deserve recognition: (remember, be civil)
- Ipswich Middle School
- David Fabrizio, Principal
- 130 High Street Ipswich, MA 01938
- Phone 978-356-3535 – Fax 978-412-8169
Just curious … wouldn’t it be more devastating to the so-called average students if the smart kids got their awards in front of them at an assembly in front of the whole school, rather than a special night of just the honor’s students? The principals explanation of why he made this change makes no sense other than the fact that he must feel its not fair for some kids to get awards and others not. A note to Principal Fabrizio, life is not fair and you are doing none of these students any favors.
Posted March 21, 2013 by Scared Monkeys Abuse of Power, Child Welfare, Education, Elementary School, Nanny State - Big Government, Political Correctness, WTF | 13 comments |
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13 Responses to “Ipswich Middle School Principal Fabrizio Cancels ‘Honors Night’ Because It Might Upset & Be “Devastating” to Students Who Didn’t Make The Grade”
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this guy must be a liberal. let’s not reward those who studied and accomplished their work. instead, we will take the democrat approach to appease those who didn’t.
This should shatter any doubt we are headed towards an idiocracy.
There is no way in the world America can compete when we raise generations upon generations of dumbed down kids.
Next thing you know, they’ll vote someone like Obama into the White House and the end will be near.
Oh wait…
Seems the schools have been infiltrated by hoards
of useful idiot administrators. Like zombies, they
follow the little red book and impose it’s content
on the students (our children).
Truly absurd, but the madness is spreading. How about canceling an Easter Egg Hunt because it might offend someone? Oh well, they fixed it by taking out the word Easter and allowing the kids to hunt geometric shapes! They kept the Easter Bunney because he has nothing to do with Jesus, but apparently the eggs do…
http://whnt.com/2013/03/19/madison-school-modifies-student-easter-egg-hunt-citing-religious-diversity-conflicts/
You are all the scared monkeys! Have you ever been to one of the Honors Night programs in Ipswich? My two children have been Honors students in high school and middle school there for years. It is the most tedious proceeding you can ever imagine, an endless evening thanks to what can only be the result of grade inflation. Fully 2/3rds of a class (say about 120 students) traipse across the dais as names and awards are intoned. My kids do not need this type of recognition to strive to be top students. This move by the principal has NOTHING to do with trying to dumb down the student body. Bringing in back to the full class in an assembly may well inspire some who formerly could not achieve an already inflated grade system…they also get to listen to encouraging speeches by the three top Seniors who embody all that is best in Ipswich, which they never have been able to before.
The comments above strike me as being the faulty and kneejerk thoughts of those never made the grade as students….
___________________________
SM: I am so glad that you think that your kids do not deserve the recognition that they deserve. Spoken like a true proud parent. I am so sad that you think it is a chore to attend an Honors dinner. Unreal.
You said, “Bringing back to the full class in an assembly may well inspire some who formerly could not achieve an already inflated grade system…they also get to listen to encouraging speeches by the three top Seniors who embody all that is best in Ipswich, which they never have been able to before.”
Shows how much you know … the principal stated that the reason why the Honors Dinner was being discontinued was because it was “devastating” to the kids who were not Honors students. If that was the case why in the Hell would that principal want Honors students speaking to the so-called “DEVASTATED” students and making them feel bad? Maybe you should read the comments of your principal.
R
I get the creepy feeling that they are training
our kids to exist at the convenience of the
government class rather than be self reliant
free individuals. It’s a sick thought reminiscent
of slavery.
BTW #5, you do not have the first understanding or comprehension what it means to be a “Scared Monkey”.
Maybe you might want to read a bit more and you will come to understand it means, not to put your head in the sand, not to turn a blind eye and not to keep silent. Once you learn that, maybe you could pass an Honors class here at SM.
Red
#5: your comments leads me to believe that your reaction was kneejerk because you are jealous of the kids that do make the grade or, you have had waaay too much of the democrat koolaide. make sure that wasn’t mushroom juice they fed you.
I think what Ipswich parent is saying is right. The principal is trying to keep the honor student program from being watered down. Almost every kid in the school gets an award while a few sit around and feel REALY down because they are left out. It would be different if maybe two or three kids got the honor at the end of the year instead of a majority of kids every quarter. I saw this first hand about 10 years ago and thought WTF?
There is both truth and sadness in #5′s post.
A school that inflates grades so they can make the kids feel better about themselves is a failing school. They are cheating all those who receive the inflated grade and are setting them up for failure in the next stage of their life.
Grade inflation is the truth. The sadness is that somewhere in the future all those, that got an honor they didn’t earn, know deep down in their being that they really didn’t deserve it. The other part is what will they do when they are faced with inadequate skills in the work place and either cannot get or keep a job?
Teaching is certainly not what it used to be, neither are teachers. But they have so many restrictions on them now, not ever being allowed to correct or discipline the children. Today some parents don’t even know or care where their children are, let how they behave in school. This makes it very difficult for good students who are striving hard to make those, proud to have “good grades. Hard earned grades should always be honored, not falsified. Remember when your test was returned and you saw the big “A”. What a sense of accomplishment and so proud to go home and show your parents who cared so much.
In response to R’s statement:
“SM: I am so glad that you think that your kids do not deserve the recognition that they deserve. Spoken like a true proud parent. I am so sad that you think it is a chore to attend an Honors dinner. Unreal.”
Recognition is wonderful when it truly means something. When the vast majority of students in a class receive Honors or High Honors at an Honors night, what are they truly being recognized for? Being one of the many? I happen to be a very proud parent, my kids are the greatest.
This was NOT an Honors “dinner.” No food is involved.
“Shows how much you know … the principal stated that the reason why the Honors Dinner was being discontinued was because it was “devastating” to the kids who were not Honors students. If that was the case why in the Hell would that principal want Honors students speaking to the so-called “DEVASTATED” students and making them feel bad? Maybe you should read the comments of your principal.”
The principal wanted the non-rewarded students to have the opportunity to hear the inspiring words of older high school students who have done extremely well. This is not to make them feel bad. It gives them a taste of what it means to succeed in school, and there may be a few of them whose heads are turned by it. I read the principal’s comments, but you seem to have a problem with comprehending them.
In response to Super Dave:
“#5: your comments leads me to believe that your reaction was kneejerk because you are jealous of the kids that do make the grade or, you have had waaay too much of the democrat koolaide. make sure that wasn’t mushroom juice they fed you.”
Your comment leads ME to believe that you also have a problem with reading comprehension. I said my kids are Honors students. Why would I be jealous of my own children? I was expressing my first-hand experience of what seems to be a more pernicious problem than the one being reacted to here: grade inflation. Awards stop meaning that much when everyone gets them. And an additional two-hour evening to publicly recognize the recipients of what seems like watered-down awards is overkill.
Excuse me for having a different opinion than you. Your kool-aid reference could not be more dated, trite, and ridiculously partisan. I guess for you every issue is guided by a political divide.