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Bill Would Require School Districts To Designate Valedictorians
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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Some high schools throughout Ohio have decided not to name valedictorians at graduation. But one state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require schools to name at least one valedictorian or salutatorian.
Republican Representative Niraj Antani ‘s bill would allow districts to determine the criteria, but he says requiring at least one valedictorian would create competition.
“Getting rid of valedictorian is the first step in getting rid of grades, getting rid of GPA’s, class rank and so that I think is very bad and we hear about millennials being entitled and perhaps lazy. Well it’s a result of decisions like this,” Antani says.
Some school districts in Ohio have decided against naming valedictorians in recent years saying the competition was hard on the mental health of students. Some also said students who took classes like band were penalized because it was not weighted as heavy as some other subjects.