Valedictorian used to be a title held with pride. Now, it seems almost arbitrary.
Earlier this school year, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) released new policies they plan on incorporating for the 2026 to 2027 school year. This long statement included topics like a new superintendent, graduation requirements, and small tweaks to various courses.
However, the term “valedictorian” is missing from the education planning guide. Many people believe that the title is going away all together, but instead, SPS has replaced it with a tiered system called the Latin Honors system.
Originally, in order to become a valedictorian, a student would have to acquire a 5.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) with straight A’s and roughly 18 weighted classes. However, the valedictorian role has been divided into three different titles in the Latin Honors system.
Summa Cum Laude, the highest title that can be earned with a 4.2 GPA, Magna Cum Laude with a 3.8 GPA, and Cum Laude with a 3.5 GPA. These three new titles will replace the overarching valedictorian role, allowing for more students to be recognized.
By opening this door to a larger variety of students, people would feel encouraged to try harder classes.
I know that I’m capable of doing something greater or putting in more effort, but this old system of praising students for breaking their back with schoolwork deterred me from ever wanting to try.
Plus, with this new title system, students can take actually challenging (but not overwhelming) classes without looking for an “easy A.”
Many universities and colleges already use this honor system for their own titles, which immediately sets students up for success.
The reason why SPS chose to replace valedictorian with this new system is to reduce stress and competition amongst students. I’m definitely no valedictorian, but the stress in general to obtain a high GPA and take extreme classes is already overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine being under five times that stress to achieve the valedictorian title.
In order to become a valedictorian, like many other programs at our school, a student has to get started as soon as they’re a freshman. This means that you have to know what you want to do as soon as eighth grade scheduling. That’s a lot of pressure right out of the gate.
This creates immense competition between students and leaves little room for social development if students are so worried about perfect A’s.
The title also feels less special if it is shared with so many people. Our school has a total of 16 Valedictorians this year. In past years, the average has been around 10 students, so this is the most we’ve seen in around a decade.
Though this is very impressive, this once exclusive title now has to be shared amongst over a dozen people.
Valedictorian doesn’t always mean you’re smart, either. You just know how to do things. I’ve seen some valedictorians over the years that I’ve been impressed with. Those people truly deserve the title and the honor.
However, there are a handful that seem like they’ve just had the title handed to them.
It’s for the best that the valedictorian title goes away. There are many things wrong with it, but one of the biggest issues is the pressure it puts on students for almost no reward. It’s a competitive, outdated title that can be replaced with the Latin Honor system that will improve more students’ lives
