No tolerance sucks... Valedictorian denied title...

[big daddy russ]

Got this story off another board. It's crap if you ask me.



Anorexic Student Denied Valedictorian Title
Absentee record for treatment negates academic record

By Janet Shamlian
Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 12:51 p.m. ET May 17, 2005


KINGWOOD, Texas - Karen Scherr is the top academic student in her class at Kingwood High School in the Houston area, and she has been for the past four years. But when the 18-year-old receives her diploma this month, she’ll do so without the title just about everyone expected her to have: valedictorian. kingwood High school has handed that honor to another student, saying Scherr doesn’t qualify for the award.

“I was disappointed,” said Scherr. “I’d hoped the rule would not have to be enforced.”

Attendance record negates academic record

Scherr was referring to a requirement that the school’s valedictorian be enrolled in classes by the 20th day of their junior year. It’s a rule aimed at keeping students from other schools from transferring into Kingwood late in their high school careers to claim one of the coveted top 10 academic spots. Scherr’s been in the Kingwood school system since kindergarten. But she wasn’t enrolled in her high school on that 20th day of her junior year. Instead, she was in a treatment facility seeking help for the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa.

“I was sick. That’s part of the disorder,” said Scherr. “It’s a mental disease.”

While the school warned the Scherr family of their strict attendance policy, her parents made the decision to keep her hospitalized in Oklahoma until her medical treatment was complete a few weeks later. Through it all, she kept up her class work and stayed at the top of her class despite her illness.

Students rally behind her

“I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to help her immediately. She’s worked so hard for it,” said Lauren Bonds, the Kingwood school newspaper editor. Bonds also battled the eating disorder and felt Scherr should be rewarded, not punished, for seeking help. “I know what it’s like to go through that. It’s always with you.” Despite student petitions and pleas from students on the Top 10 list at Kingwood High, school officials said the title instead would go to the number two student, Alex Gorham. Gorham said the victory would be a hollow one for him and asked the school to reconsider. Many in the senior class of 800 felt the same.

“She has a disease,” said Travis Boeker, a fellow student. “If it was cancer, this wouldn’t be an issue.” “She was able to maintain her grades and still stay ahead of the class during a very difficult personal time,” said student Addison Beard. “The title belongs to her.”


Priorities intact

Scherr says she made the right choice to miss school to seek treatment. “That was the best decision. I don’t regret it at all. It was a choice made with input from my parents and doctors. I’m ok with it.”

School officials insist they won’t change their minds, saying it would be unfair to retroactively change the rules at the end of the school year. Kingwood has offered Scherr the title Honorary Valedictorian — a title she’s not sure she’ll accept. More important than the trophy, the teen says, her self-esteem is intact.

“That’s more important than any achievement or any title you could ever get,” Scherr said. “I’m thankful I’ve learned that at this point in my life, at 18 years old.”

A young woman who says she doesn’t need a prize to appreciate all she’s accomplished, inside and outside the classroom.

[Ranger Mom]

That's sad! I think if i was the person who received the award instead of her...I would make a big production of getting it and turning right around and giving it to her!

[onfirebball05mustang]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
That's sad! I think if i was the person who received the award instead of her...I would make a big production of getting it and turning right around and giving it to her!

Hooah to that! She has worked hard to EARN an award that will just be handed over to another? I know the feeling somewhat, but that's just...wrong.

[spiveyrat]

I agree. That's crap!

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
That's sad! I think if i was the person who received the award instead of her...I would make a big production of getting it and turning right around and giving it to her!

That's a great idea, RM. I could understand if she moved in from another school district late in her junior year and then won the award. That's what this rule is supposed to enforce. But she had lived there practically her whole life. She was probably still taking classes from Kingwood while she was in rehab.

[lepfan]

I think she was given the honarary title, but the other student got the official title.

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
That's a great idea, RM. I could understand if she moved in from another school district late in her junior year and then won the award. That's what this rule is supposed to enforce. But she had lived there practically her whole life. She was probably still taking classes from Kingwood while she was in rehab.

And not only did she earn the title fairly, but she partially did so while off battling her disease. She wasn't even at school and yet was able to keep up her studies. She went above and beyond and should be recognized accordingly.

[lepfan]

Originally posted by spiveyrat
And not only did she earn the title fairly, but she partially did so while off battling her disease. She wasn't even at school and yet was able to keep up her studies. She went above and beyond and should be recognized accordingly.

I agree with you...but, if the rules state enrolled ON the 20th day and she was not......then they have to go by the rules.

[Macarthur]

Originally posted by lepfan
I agree with you...but, if the rules state enrolled ON the 20th day and she was not......then they have to go by the rules.

lepfan, I completely disagree. There has to be a "spirit of the rule" involved. The reason the rule was inacted was to not allow kids to move into the district late in their HS career and take the award from kids that have been at the school. This does not violate the "spirit of the rule". I think everyone would be in favor of making an exception in this case.

If you truly think that everything or everyone goes "by the rules" in life then you are either naive or not paying attention.

This is just another example of how schools are so ineffective and have become spooked by litigation. They refuse to see gray areas and be flexible. Therefore, you have totally illogical situations arise like this one.

[BullFrog Dad]

Is this 20th day of Junior year rule or something similar to it common in other districts?

[Bandera YaYa]

Congrats to her for learning, in her young years, that titles are just that....what she has overcome and done is way more important of a feat than some high school award.....she's a true winner ......

[GOFOR2]

way to go school officials.
you had an opportunity to draw some positive attention to your school but instead gave it a black-eye.
this is what happens when you put up rules like this without giving yourself an out or without using common sense when enforcing it.
i thought schools were in the business of helping kids.
way to go Kingwood.

[superslyguy06]

CRAP. . . that's all I can say.

[Bandera YaYa]

Originally posted by GOFOR2
way to go school officials.
you had an opportunity to draw some positive attention to your school but instead gave it a black-eye.
this is what happens when you put up rules like this without giving yourself an out or without using common sense when enforcing it.
i thought schools were in the business of helping kids.
way to go Kingwood.

nice response....yet again they forgot what "teacher" means.........

[AggieJohn]

i would definately consider this mutiny stuff on the part of the mustang class of 05