Tell me what you really think.
This is depressing: I couldn't answer the very first question. And I have never heard of the term "orthography". If schools hadn't have been so dumbed-down over the years...oh, but I'm preaching to the choir. Thanks for sharing that exam. Very eye-opening.
I read in another blog tonight about a guy whose kid was "graduating" from pre-school. What hogwash that is, as well as graduating from kindergarten, elementary school or middle school. There should be ONE graduation ceremony at the end of 12th grade and that is all.
Texas has a new test to graduate high school. We have had one for awhile but this is the first year of a newer more difficult test.
Predictably there has been a lot of gnashing of teeth as some "graduating" seniors have discovered that they aren't getting a high school diploma and can't participate in the ceremony. The non graduating students and the parents have been complaining about having wasted 12 years and some of them have been accepted to college and can't go now.
And exactly who's fault is that? I try to be optimistic about things but sometimes it's not so easy.
I know this is somewhat off topic but it's been on my mind (nerves?) for a few weeks now.
I remember my 6th grade graduation was the biggest blowout. Elementary into middle school was a big transition.
Now commencement will be coming up soon, and I refuse to go. I swear, if I hear that Vitamin C song one more time...
My daughter viewed the whole thing as a great chance to socialize.
History aside (which, BTW, I found fascinating) I see no need for the big to do.
Tomorrow's post will highlight the highlights.
No, Mamacita, it is most definitely not too late. I'll be taking favorites for a while.
Looking forward to getting yours.
as i was reading i was thinking..."i wonder what she thinks of kindergarten graduation"...and to my wonder...you did - thanks.
Over here in Australia, kids finish Year 6 in Primary School, then go to High (or Secondary) School where they stay until Year 12, then it's off to uni or college etc unless they have dropped out by Year 8. AFter Year 6 we had a 'graduation night" but it was a dinner with all the parents, followed by a disco. The kids all received an award with their photo on it, and that was basically that. They had a great time though, and not a gown or diploma to be found 
I had both a kindergarten graduation and an 8th grade graduation - Catholic school, I guess. Anyway, I dont even remember the kindergarten one but the 8th grade ceremony was a big deal to me. In my school, it was serious stuff and not social hour. I remember it well as I was headed to a brand new school for 9th- not the one all of my friends we headed to. Maybe that's why it was such a big deal to me. It was the end of many things.
ugh! They do it in Kindergarten here, drives me nuts. Now, the elementary school our kids attend is having a fifth grade graduation, as it is the only school in the district that still houses fifth graders (the other school's send them to a middle school for fifth grade)and therefore, feel special. Did it ever occur to anyone that the graduation ceremony should be a special event and not bastardized four times before it actually means something? I can understand the 8th grade thing, but fifth grade?
What's next? We turn funerals into graduation exercises.
"Congratulations, you just graduated life."
Sigh.
Over here in the UK, when I was a student, the only graduation you could expect to get was if you completed a university course of some sort.
Here you can leave school at 16 and the only piece of paper you get is the one with your GCSE results on (if you actually take any, you don't have to). You can stay on 2 more years (on the state) and take A Levels and get another bit of paper with those results but there's certainly no big ceremony for it.
I like the idea of funerals as graduation exercises.
"Congratulations, you just graduated life."
Ohhhhh...now I totally want to have an open casket, and be dressed in a cap and gown...And dammit, I also want Pomp & Circumstance to be played as they're wheeling me out of the chapel to the Hearse...
This is a great post. I was relieved that both of my kids went to the alternative high school where no one used limos, they went out for Chinese and TD wore a duct tape prom dress that she made. But more to the point is your concern for those students who won't make it through high school because of barriers that many of us never confront. The New York Times has been doing a series called, "Class Matters" and yesterday's article focused on education:
http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2...national/class/
One of the biggest gripes I have is the growing distance between the winners and the losers in all aspects of education. While we've made some progress in transcending the stereotypes around girls and math, for example, the gap between excellence and not even being included is widening. Your example of sports is a good one- you are either selected by middle school as a future athlete or you needn't bother trying to make the team. This means that sports are not for fun, they are not for life, they are not for health- they are for winning. Thanks for reminding me that some of those 8th grade graduates are, in their world, real winners.
P.S. I'm studying to re-take the GREs to go back to grad school in another area before I die. Most of the questions are easier and have less life application than the ones on that 8th grade exam from so long ago.
I have always felt that kindergarten graduation was meaningless, except for the photo opportunities. Lately, though, I'm starting to feel that there might be more formal occasions needed. It's not like people dress up for church once a week anymore, and I can't tell you how many business dinners I've sat through watching men in suits use their forks like a shovel. Elementary School Prom might not be such a bad idea. Learning how to waltz might not be a bad idea.
I was going to blog about this after hearing the last two days about a kindergarten, fourth grade, fifth grade, and seventh grade graduation. Seems pretty ridiculous to me as well. Though you may be onto something with the Elementary Prom. I'm sure the tuxedo rental and gown business would love it.
Hey, my youngest had a daycare/preschool graduation party and it was actually really cool! They told the kids to dress up, provided bowties for the boys and gloves for the girls, and had a ballroom-dancing show. Turned out, the kids had been learning ballroom dancing for two years of preschool. I really enjoyed it, and so did my son, who got to waltz with the prettiest girl in class!
Well, my school always holds a 5th grade graduation (I just posted about it) and we hold it because our kids are members of that group who enters high school and then vanishes off the face of the statistical earth. Many vanish before they complete middle school. So we hold one. It's sweet and also oh so sad.
OH! This is my topic!
One of the biggest bones of contention is our 8th grade graduation or the lack of one. We used to do a big graduation, but as the population grew, it became impossible to do it. Our multiuseless room is too small, doing it outside is contingent on the weather and frankly, our parking lot isn't big enough either. In the past four years, we have toned it down to an 8th grade assembly during their last school day. We hand out academic awards and some funny awards that only the class gets. I take pictures all year long and then put them to music for a huge slide show. This should be about the KIDS. Then parents wanted to go to this ceremony. Well, were getting back to square one, but at a worse degree. Parking when we have the lot full for faculty and staff. The first year we did it, parents had the gall to say it was boring. Excuse me?? It was a kid centered assembly that they loved because it was about their school year.
Parents still complain and we still stick to our guns. We've had parents call the local college to see if we could use their auditorium. Let it go. Let your 8th graders be 8th graders and for God sakes, appreciate the effort your children's teachers do to make 8th grade almost as phenomenal as their senior year.
Whew....
...and don't get me started on the 8th grade dance that somehow they think is a freaking semi formal....
Yes Mamacita...you got me going on this topic!! LOL
It's a conspiracy... more graduations mean more graduation gifts. It's a never ending cycle of parental guilt.
Oh my goodness, Elementary Proms!!! LOL How cute would that be?
I would NOT pass the 8th grade in the 1800s. Sigh. And I went to college.
I agree, things are getting out of hand when kids "graduate" kindergarten, grade 8, and then, if they are lucky, grade 12. A high school diploma now means nothing. Hubby is doing report card this week, and he has at least one student who will be "passed" out of grade 9 simply on a "social pass". Meaning, let's just shove him off, he's been here for 2 years already. So what if he still can't read or write. Arghh.
Aagh. This graduation stuff drives me crazy. It's part of the no-failure, everybody wins ethos, where there are no competitive games and nobody is ever second. Of course that means that nobody is ever first, either.
My ex-wife has my daughter in a school where there is a graduation ceremony for each grade. I'm not kidding. Drives me crazy, but I grit my teeth.
My daughter's preschool did the graduation thing w/caps and gowns. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. So I can only blame myself that she woke up that morning throwing up and with a fever of 102.
And I only wish they'd put caps & gowns on the 8th graders here and cover up the itty bit cocktail dresses the girls wear.
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