“Truth
is generally the best vindication against slander.”
--
Abraham Lincoln
By
Tommie Saylor
Kennedy
High School Principal
If
you have any doubt about the success of today’s public high schools, try
joining us at graduation and your doubts will quickly evaporate.
The
media, our very own politicians and critical naysayers only want to focus on the
bottom 30 percent of students and graduates. They say, “See, our schools are failing.”
But
what they don’t know, is that those bottom 30 percent have made it to
graduation after overcoming obstacles that would drive those so-called “do-gooders”
into a catatonic state.
Those
bottom 30 percent overcame poverty (the arch-nemesis to the field of
education), abuse, learning disabilities, mental disorders, neglect and
homelessness. Those bottom 30 percent are the true heroes of the night.
Though
they may not receive scholarships, academic rewards and recognition, they are
the ones who fought the biggest battles and bear the deepest scars as they
clawed their way to graduation.
So,
as they quietly cross the stage unadorned by clanging medals, sashes and honor
cords, they should be the most revered for making the longest journey with the
least amount of resources.
Though
the naïve media and politicians want to argue about the bottom 30 percent with
the words “I told you so” upon their lips, I would like to point out the top 30
percent.
I
would like to take the time to highlight the achievements and honors earned by
our top students. I would like to point out the 17 graduates that earned over a
4.0 GPA. Or the couple of dozen or so students who will be entering college as
a junior or sophomore because they earned many college credits while still in high
school. Or the multitude of students who earned technical certifications and
are now prepared to enter the skilled trades work force.
Let’s
talk about the over $1 million our graduates have been awarded in college
scholarships, the student that has been accepted directly into medical school
or the student who has been recognized as one of the top instrumentalist in the
state and is now going to college to earn a degree in music.
Or
the dozen or so students who have decided to serve their country by joining the
military and the students who earned the right to compete in the World Robotics
Competition and are now heading off to college to earn a degree in
engineering/robotics.
If
our detractors wish to discuss the fate and effectiveness of our underfunded,
understaffed and publicly undermined education system, then I offer the above
as proof of our effectiveness.
Check
and mate!
It
has been said, that it takes a village to raise a child. In today’s modern age,
that village is the public school system.
What
starts here, changes the world. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence
by design.
