School Board Gives Nod To Updated Progression Plan With No Change To Valedictorian And Salutatorian Awards

June 16, 2021

The Escambia County School Board voted Tuesday night to move forward with advertising updates to the Student Progression Plan, with no change to the current practice of naming a valedictorian and salutatorian at each of the county’s high schools.

In a proposal presented to the board at a Monday workshop, Lesa Morgan, the school district’s director of high school education, had requested the elimination of the valedictorian and salutatorian awards beginning with the Class of 2025.

After public outcry overwhelmingly against the idea, Superintendent Tim Smith removed the section from the plan before it was approved Tuesday night.

For more information on the original plan and board member comments, click or tap here for a Monday NorthEscambia.com story.

Comments

13 Responses to “School Board Gives Nod To Updated Progression Plan With No Change To Valedictorian And Salutatorian Awards”

  1. Jlb on June 17th, 2021 5:26 pm

    Glad I can proudly say I voted against a appointed superintendent. Getting rid of the 2.0 GPA necessary to go to high school….really. …time for some our elected officials to go…district 5 we are usually good at that. Lets remember this come election time. Time for a new representative in district 5…

  2. Rasheed Jackson on June 17th, 2021 1:11 pm

    So, let us just stop recognizing scholastic achievement all together. I know, no more grades!! That would be great. All you must do is show up occasionally for some classes, enough to be counted as attending, then after 12 years, 13 counting K-5, you walk with a certificate of participation. No one gets their feelings hurt. I am sure teachers would love this. No more test. Just present the material and you are done. What they do with it is totally up to them, the student that is. Parents need not get involved because it is not their life.

  3. Lou on June 16th, 2021 2:09 pm

    Mr Slayton you should care what the tax paying citizens think, as well as the parents of the students in our county. You and Mrs Morgan should transfer to another school district preferly New York or California, where this type of unilateral policies and ambivalent attitude towards tax payers and parents might be tolerated. Thank you S uperintendent for a remarkable decision.

  4. Oversight on June 16th, 2021 1:38 pm

    You know what else was in this new plan? The removal of the 2.0 minimum GPA requirement for middle schoolers to advance to high school, that’s what. While everyone was focused on val and sal for graduating seniors, Escambia County just dumbed it down a little more. We were all duped by the board that this new superintendent hire would raise the bar and improve education here. Well, obliviously he is not up to the task as this inept school board auto nodded approval of a new lower standard.

  5. Fire Lesa Morgan on June 16th, 2021 1:37 pm

    Lesa Morgan needs to be investigated. There is no way that someone submitting an idea this stupid is a one time decision. Her past actions need to be scrutinized closely

  6. Frank Gulsby on June 16th, 2021 11:54 am

    Hey Billy, we know you must be real upset that you didn’t get to hear “more on the subject”, but we heard all we needed to from you on the matter loud and clear! Since you “don’t care” what we think, we don’t care to continue paying for your useless opinion. Enjoy what time you have left on the board, because there are a lot of us out here just waiting for you and a few others to come up for re-election so we can take out the trash. See you at the poles!

  7. hawk on June 16th, 2021 10:41 am

    Classic example of smoke and mirrors.

  8. Diane on June 16th, 2021 9:59 am

    Who is Lesa Morgan? Thank you for listening to the people.

  9. tg on June 16th, 2021 9:52 am

    Did PTAs go away?

  10. RC on June 16th, 2021 8:42 am

    Thank you board and superintendent for doing your job. Please review everything Ms Morgan has touched, and insure it is in the best interest of students and taxpayers. How is it possible an employee can display such poor judgement and keep her job?? There must be consequences!

  11. PcolaNative on June 16th, 2021 6:42 am

    The WOKE crowd are not going away. Thankfully they did not win this battle but they are DANGEROUS

  12. mnon on June 16th, 2021 4:54 am

    hank you! Thank you! Lesa find another job or move to California, thanks.

  13. JTV on June 16th, 2021 4:31 am

    Idiots making education decisions.