Pitt County Schools issued the following announcement on Oct. 10.
Pitt County Schools would like to both correct and clarify several inaccuracies circulating in our community following the Board of Education meeting on Monday.
The amendment to Policy 3440 does not eliminate class rank.
At this time, a decision has not been made whether schools will continue or discontinue recognition of a valedictorian or salutatorian in their graduation programs, and this item of business is not currently being considered by the Board. Policy 3450, which addresses class rank and titles of valedictorian or salutatorian, remains in effect.
The amendment to Policy 3440 specifically addresses the selection of commencement speakers beginning with the class of 2027. It also codifies a practice, which has been in place since 2018, that utilizes the Latin system to recognize student academic achievement.
PCS strongly encourages students to engage in the highest levels of academic rigor and does not discourage competition. PCS also wants students to be able to balance the pursuit of academic excellence with the exploration of other subject areas, including career & technical education courses, without fear of academic penalty.
In amending Policy 3440, the Board joins a number of other North Carolina school systems in recognizing that high school has dramatically changed in the last decade. Students no longer take the same set of classes and have expansive opportunities to select courses that are meaningful to them and also academically rigorous.
The Board is tasked with continually evaluating and aligning its policies to meet the ever-changing educational landscape and has been considering changes to the method for selecting graduation speakers since 2018.
Original source can be found here.
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