Pearson School Graduation Ceremony Cancelled

On Wednesday, May 1, just before dismissal for the day, the Pearson School eighth graders were assembled—prior to parental notification—for an announcement that there will be no graduation ceremony six weeks from now. Instead, there will be an "awards ceremony" for those students who have earned recognition of excellence in various facets of their three-year middle school experience. Parents will be notified if their child is to receive an award, and will be invited to attend this elite gathering.

The following letter was written in response to this administrative decision, a decision that was made known to parents only through their disheartened eighth graders.

Dear Pearson School Administration: It is indeed a privilege to be given the gift of a graduation ceremony. And how unfortunate that there are always some graduates who, for a multitude of reasons, have not acquired the maturity to appreciate this gift and its import. But while there are those who would make a mockery of this time-honored tradition, the majority—and, I believe, the great majority—have a sense of the value of this ceremony, of its meaning as an expression of pride for the achievements accomplished and struggles endured throughout the vastly formative years of middle school.

There will, each year, be those students who excel scholastically and socially; to honor them with awards is altogether fitting and just. But what of those students who have quietly and diligently worked, only to have their efforts result in "average" grades? Perhaps they haven’t given stellar performances either academically or socially, but are they any less deserving of praise for their efforts and for their accomplishments, however humble? What message are we giving them if we withhold that praise—in the form of a long-anticipated graduation ceremony? Would that not be equivalent to telling them that only those who achieve the excellence of the highest percentiles deserve to be recognized and praised? And what kind of a foundation does that message lay down for their transition into high school, where, by definition, they are the "underdogs"—the "lower classmen"—for fully their first two years?

To deny them this gift of self-esteem undermines the very fabric of the teaching profession!

Within that denial is another very poignant and disturbing thread: What forum then exists for those exceptional—or perhaps even average—teachers who would wish to relay encouraging words of confidence, respect, and simply a pat on the back to those "lower achievers" who, oddly enough, in all probability need more encouragement than their high-achieving peers?

It’s quite an ironic twist, isn’t it?

Ah yes, and let me not omit the utter disappointment of parents, grandparents, and other caregivers who have looked forward to watching their much-loved eighth graders publicly bask in the pride of those who do so love and cherish them, those who have experienced their growth and unveiling of character more personally than any single teacher or administrator could possibly experience. I am saddened by visions of scrapbooks and photo albums where blank pages reserved for pictures of this graduation leave gaping holes in the stories of these kids’ childhoods.

If anticipated poor behavior is an issue, are we not punishing before the crime if we deny these students their few fleeting moments in the light of public recognition? Why not have several well-respected teachers or other adults standing ready to escort rabble-rousers out of the ceremony? Why not give those well-respected adults an opportunity to enlist the students in a challenge to prove that they are capable of allowing their best selves to reign at this ceremony? Better yet, from the moment these young people enter middle school, why do we not ourselves take greater doses of the guidance of those who have found positive ways of instilling self-respect and healthy values in kids of this development level? Why not treat the cause instead of trying to circumvent the symptoms?

I believe in these young adults who are an integral part of our future. I am immeasurably saddened that you, as educators and as representatives of guidance for our students, seemingly lack this fundamental belief in them.

The irony continues …