Did you hear this story?  I saw on Yahoo.com,

Principal David Fabrizio of Ipswich Middle School in Massachusetts made a decision to cancel the school’s annual “Honors Night” tradition to avoid hurting other students’ feelings. The school will instead be honoring academic achievers during a year-end daytime assembly where achievements in academics, athletics, and arts will be celebrated in the presence of the entire student body.

The first-year principal notified parents of the change in a letter stating, "The Honors Night, which can be a great sense of pride for the recipients' families, can also be devastating to a child who has worked extremely hard in a difficult class but who, despite growth, has not been able to maintain a high grade point average." The decision upset many parents and others feel even the new school ceremony will cause problems. Ipswich parent Stephanie Cockman told WHDH 7 News, “They’re going to feel bad. ‘Oh mommy, I got C’s and low B’s. But the girl in my class is getting B’s and A’s. How coming I’m not being awarded?’”

Despite the pressure Principal Fabrizio has refused to change his mind and believes that recognizing student achievement in front of the entire school will inspire other students to work harder. The Ipswich Chronicle reported that Fabrizio responded to critics saying, “This isn’t the dumbing down of America…This isn’t everyone getting a trophy. The same kids who were honored before are being honored now.”

Do you agree or disagree?