By STEPHEN SEITZ
Special to the Eagle Times
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Starting with the Class of 2020, Springfield High School will change the way it recognizes academic achievement.
There will no longer be a valedictorian or salutatorian. Students will be recognized with Latin titles: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, corresponding to a grade-point average of 3 to 3.25, 3.26 to 3.5, and 3.5 and above, respectively.
This system is the result if a new teaching philosophy at the high school called “proficiency-based learning,” designed to measure more than academic accomplishment.
“For the Class of 2019, nothing will shift,” Assistant Principal Jade Costello told the school board at its regular meeting Monday night. “Under the old system, if I do better than my 89 classmates, I become valedictorian. That often creates a competitive environment which doesn’t always have to do with learning.”
Not that the top achiever won’t receive recognition, Costello added.
“The highest achiever will be designated as a Springfield Scholar,” she said.
Student representative Deacon Watson said this was good news.
“I’ve been getting a lot of nasty comments about this,” he said. “A lot of people will appreciate the Springfield Scholar.”
According to a handout Costello provided to the board, students will be able to earn distinctions in different subjects.
Board member Troy Palmer wanted to know, “What about scholarships? Aren’t they based on GPA?”
Costello said they had a formula for that.
“We’ll still be able to monitor GPA,” she said. “We’re just choosing to shed a new light on student achievements.”
In other action, board member Stephen Karaffa, who acts as liaison to the selectmen, updated the board on the South Street sidewalk situation. The sidewalks need replacement in some parts, especially near Jake’s South Street Market, and the town is working with the state to accomplish that.
“VTrans turned the plan down,” Karaffa said. “We want to expand the sidewalks to five feet, but the state didn’t like the plan for Jake’s.”
Karaffa said that he had heard one VTrans official had a reputation for rejecting projects, and recommended appealing to the man’s superior.
“I can talk to them on behalf of the board,” said chairman Ed Caron.
The board meets next on Nov. 15.
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