Former valedictorian tells Quincy School Board eliminating top two graduating honors is ‘terrific idea’

QUINCY — When Jennifer Bock Nelson learned Quincy School District officials were considering eliminating valedictorian and salutatorian honors, she wanted to share her thoughts with the Quincy School Board.

Nelson, a Quincy artist, was the valedictorian of her graduating class in 1997. She believes it’s a “terrific idea” to get rid of the academic honors given to the top two graduating seniors.

“I really hope that you take the time to consider it, and you hear from somebody for whom grades became an obsession,” Nelson said during the public comment portion of Wednesday night’s School Board meeting at the Quincy Board of Education offices. “It was later in life when I came to realize that, yeah, I can be a 43-year-old who reads books and makes art. That can be a really meaningful life.”

Principal Jody Steinke suggested eliminating the top two honors during a District Improvement Team meeting last week. Magna cum laude and summa cum laude recognition would continue to be given to high-achieving students.

Nelson said becoming the valedictorian was never something she aspired to. However, when she started taking standardized tests in middle school, she did very well.

“When you start being at the very top, your life gets scripted for you,” she said. “People want you in certain classes. People want you to go into certain fields.”

‘Life is more than just grades’

She said she dealt with “very high pressure” when she was in high school. She said she didn’t have much of a say in which classes she took. When grades were turned in for the first semester of her senior year, Nelson said she broke.

“When I came back to school, I got out of all the classes I never wanted to take in the first place and took my first art class,” Nelson said. “It was then that a physics teacher took me aside and said, ‘Life is more than just grades.’

“I didn’t understand that at the time. It took years for me to get to the point where I could say life was more than grades.”

Now a parent, Nelson said one of her children recently asked if dropping band and taking a weighted course was a good idea.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “Even the most elite colleges are not looking at (class) rank and GPA (grade point average). They want to see you as a whole person.”

Arns: ‘The student voice is very important to hear’

School Board members noted more study on the issue remains. Change is unlikely for at least a couple of years.

Board member Carol Nichols agreed with Nelson’s thoughts.

“My daughter was a salutatorian, and the valedictorian was a bundle of apologies, saying that there were so many people who were not in the right place for the right reasons,” Nichols said. “She is a happy bartender today. And our son, who was a perpetual failure in high school because he got Ds, now every day of work is joy. Thank you for speaking up.”

“Mr. Steinke presented us with data and information regarding why the need of the discussion is there,” Board member Shelly Arns said. “That’s something that we definitely want to move forward with, to have that discussion and getting information and input from the community and even students. I think the student voice is very important to hear.”

Three recently hired administrators introduced

Superintendent Roy Webb introduced three administrators recently hired in the district. Jason Fink will be the next principal of Rooney Elementary School, replacing Melanie Schrand, who retired. Marcey Wells will be the director of The Academy, replacing Lori Miles, who is retiring. Debbie Johnson will be the district’s director of music, replacing Todd Pettit, who was hired last month to be the district’s new superintendent.

“They’re going to be three outstanding leaders, and they’ve also grown every year,” Webb said. “I’ve seen them as leaders grow and get better, and they’ve always been good people.”

The School Board approved:

• A technical theater independent study elective course at Quincy High School. The course offers a classroom component. It requires students to take part in a number of productions each year.
• Nichols as the Illinois Association of School Boards resolution delegate.
• The amended calendar for the 2021-22 school year, establishing June 2 as the final day of school and June 3 as the final day for students. The original calendar listed the last day of school as May 26, but four emergency days for snow were used this year. Graduation is scheduled for May 27.
• The sale of three surplus buses, all with at least 100,000 miles. Two buses are 71-passenger models and one can hold 48 passengers. The minimum bid on each bus is $1,600.
• A resolution to refinance the $9.785 million in general obligation bonds issued in 2014. Ryan Whicker, chief of business operations, said the initial project savings were $1 million, but that figure now is expected to be around $500,000.