<p>@madaboutx Well here’s the thing, our school doesn’t have any NMSF…couldn’t tell you when the last one was. S is the only NM Commended, and the only NASF. The Principal apparently just doesn’t care. I mean not enough to even hand S the envelope himself and say “congratulations” forget an announcement or a press release. GC never said a word either, just handed him the envelopes AFTER he asked where they were both times. National AP scholar, again, not a whisper. We don’t even have senior academic awards. At all.</p>
<p>Now if it is something concerning sports…announcements, newspaper articles, banquets…</p>
<p>Not to underplay S’s, or any other student’s achievement, but Commended IS kind of a dubious, “also ran” honor, and NA…well I have my feelings about that too. Although S really felt hurt that he wasn’t acknowledged in any way, I think it would just come across as petty for me to say something. If it was NMSF I would feel differently and I have to believe they would have actually acknowledged that accomplishment. I hope?</p>
<p>@planner03 - I’ll give you my thoughts as well as to why I think its worth going back to discuss.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Almost all awards are petty. Athletics, artistic or academic. The All-Star athlete is ten times more likely to become a big fat donut eating plumber than a pro athlete. The artist will go on to do art as a hobby or hang it up all together to slave away I’m a cubicle and academics don’t predict future success as much as we’d like. The fat plumber is probably making more than most college grads. The fact that they are all somewhat petty and ultimately meaningless means that they should more equally valued in their area and not looked down upon because it’s not this or not that. Why should a commended kid at another school get praise and accolades while yours gets nothing?</p></li>
<li><p>School newspapers and newsletters and photos and yearbooks are searchable on Google. My D got into newspapers for different thing and by extension has positive press on Google which head hunters, recruiters and companies will find when they research her as a job applicant. As much as we worry about kids putting bad stuff on the internet, we should promote getting good stuff out there as well. You are kind of being denied a chance to have that.</p></li>
<li><p>Schools teach academics. It doesn’t matter if a student comes 1st, 2nd or 3rd place if it’s in academics. It should be recognized. Is it petty that your taxes pay for an education that your kid excels at but won’t get recognized for? You don’t need to go in fighting mad as much as you need to educate educators on what this recognition means and how they may use it to inspire more kids to do well. Go to the Rotary Club and ask them if they will sett up a scholarship for students who do well on the SAT. Even if it’s just $250 or $500, that will open up a schools eyes.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Something to consider. Parental apathy will always translate into educator apathy. I’ve been there and fought that battle. Plus, I’ve seen parents host huge celebrations for the smallest of achievements. Maybe that’s excessive but don’t be the parent that can’t celebrate their kid for not coming in first. You have a kid that achieved something no other kid at his school achieved. Let him have his cake and eat it too. Don’t be the multi-millionaire that’s depressed he’s not a billionaire. Please.</p>
<p>Last year our school had a couple commended, 1 semi-finalist, 1 finalist, and 1 NA Finalist. (My son)
One photo/press announcement was all of them but the final story included just the two finalists. The socially awkward NMS FINALIST said to the NA FINALIST, “oh, they didn’t cut you out of the photo?”
Luckily the school treated them equally and s accepted a large NMS scholarship and is happy with his choice.</p>
<p>@madaboutx I don’t disagree with any of the points you made. It isn’t so much apathy, as acceptance after 13 years. This isn’t the suburbs, and the only conversation a parent would have with an administrator would be concerning their kid’s disciplinary action. You don’t get an audience with the Principal to whine about why Johnny didn’t get a pat on the back. </p>
<p>Even Yale cares about students in the top 3% which is what commended is. They say they don’t fill the class with all the tippy top people, so commended is a signifier of those just off the peak. They can’t afford to ignore them.</p>
<p>I think the NAF is a big deal. Congratulations! Not sure about Commended, but in a school which has few or none, it ought to be. </p>
<p>I’m not AA, but I used to tutor classmates of my kids in our demographically mixed elementary school. It seemed that kids who by intrinsic smarts ought to be great students had this invisible hand holding them down, a wisp over their shoulder whispering “what you doing acting white?” Telling me lots of people I don’t know think it’s not important to do well in school and go to college. It made me crazy, was the hardest part of tutoring, to get kids to do what they clearly were capable of.</p>
<p>Point is, you should tell that principal he should make it a big deal because your son could be held up as a role model for younger students, to show them an example from their everyday of alternative ways to have a life. Look here, I can go be a Wildcat for absolutely free, and not because of my skill with a basketball, but because of what’s in my head. That is HUGE and your principal is negligent in his duties not to try to use that. It’s also sad for your son not to get personal acknowledgement for his accomplishments, really stinks, especially in an environment like you describe, where it doesn’t sound like anyone values academics, even the academics themselves, so that achievement is more difficult than when your school is full of mentors and other strong students who boost each other. If you can’t whine for recognition for your son’s sake, you certainly can ask for it for all the other kids’ sake. </p>
<p>Just so you know, @planner03, the reason your school is what is is because of how they handled your son. It’s a vicious circle. They don’t value academic excellence therefore they don’t have much of it and the reason they don’t have much of it is because they don’t value it.</p>
<p>Commended is a high recognition. It’s like getting a bronze medal in the Olympics. It’s not bad or dubious or suspect. Its a legitimate achievement. And 95% of kids will never earn that award like they will if they play T-ball or soccer as a kid.</p>
<p>“the reason your school is what is is because of how they handled your son. It’s a vicious circle. They don’t value academic excellence therefore they don’t have much of it and the reason they don’t have much of it is because they don’t value it.”</p>
<p>Sounds like a good graduate thesis for someone…</p>
<p>You’re probably right.</p>
<p>A bit late to the conversation but I was selected as an Outstanding Participant for NAS (185), the only student to receive any recognition for that in my school and one of two students in the district. Is this a major selling point for colleges, or is it not that impressive? I heard it was the top 3 percent of black students who take the PSAT.
My top choice is Reed, and it’s reachy for me, so I need every hook I can get.</p>
<p>… welp, this turned down a different path than I expected…</p>
<p>I feel you @codexsplanade, I’m the third in my school’s history, and the only one in my district to be a NASF. Some colleges hold it in the same regard as NM, so I would be very proud :3</p>
<p>Oh, and thanks for the advice on the SAT score everyone. I retook it, and I did fairly well, so I’m no longer worried. ;3</p>