High School Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling (IEP, private school, GPA)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Dorthy

But if she had made this speech to the school board would she have reached such a wide audience and generated so much discussion?

She earned the title of valedictorian and her speech was a personal reflection of her education and experience within the school system. Just because it's not the rosy picture that many people expected to hear does not mean that it's wrong.

But nothing. She still would have talked to the people who could actually do something about it. Most people attending a graduation are there to celebrate, not solve the world's problems.

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by Katiana

But nothing. She still would have talked to the people who could actually do something about it. Most people attending a graduation are there to celebrate, not solve the world's problems.

I'd much rather hear an interesting, thought provoking, from the heart speech at a graduation then yet another same old boring one with little substance.

I've been to many graduations and don't recall any of the speeches. Why? Because they were boring.

[TouchOfWhimsy]

Originally Posted by Katiana

But nothing. She still would have talked to the people who could actually do something about it. Most people attending a graduation are there to celebrate, not solve the world's problems.

The school board is not going to do anything about the system as a whole. Would her speech have been publicized to become food for thought if she went in front of her local school board? No. Does this make people think, since it has, at this point, become viral? Yep! I think that her graduation was the perfect place to give such a speech. She reached a large group of fledgling adults, who have many years to incite change. Her speech is not going to change the public education system as we know it, but it might prompt more parents (and kids who will someday become parents) to say "wait a minute, what are we doing?" instead of just blindly following the status quo. Good for her.

[harhar]

Half of the people there were asleep.

The other 1/4 were talking to their friends.

The other 1/4 (Teachers, 1/2 of whom were sleeping as well, and the other 1/2 cringed)

And 1 person video taped it.



Humility.

Seriously though, everyone should just shut-up and learn. Whether it be in school, out of school, on the internet, in a boat, on a mountain, in a tree, or wherever.

[Katiana]

A high school is graduation a time for celebration. Most people don't listen to the speeches, the recognition of retiring teachers, or anything other than their own loved one getting their diploma. I don't care how riveting the speech, everyone is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the diplomas to be handed out. They don't care what this girl thinks of the educational system she so successfully gamed. They want to see their son/daughter/sister/brother/granddaughter, get their diploma.

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by Katiana

A high school is graduation a time for celebration. Most people don't listen to the speeches, the recognition of retiring teachers, or anything other than their own loved one getting their diploma. I don't care how riveting the speech, everyone is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the diplomas to be handed out. They don't care what this girl thinks of the educational system she so successfully gamed. They want to see their son/daughter/sister/brother/granddaughter, get their diploma.

Then why does it bother you what she said if you or nobody else in your family would be listening anyway?

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by harhar

Seriously though, everyone should just shut-up and learn. Whether it be in school, out of school, on the internet, in a boat, on a mountain, in a tree, or wherever.

Shut up and learn? How does that work? Learning is an active proccess. It's not a matter of one person putting knowledge into another person's brain.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Dorthy

Then why does it bother you what she said if you or nobody else in your family would be listening anyway?

I stand by what I said. It wasn't the right time or place. I didn't say that me or anyone in my family wouldn't be listening. Watch what you say about my family, or anyone else's.

I haven't seen anything about this speech anywhere but here on CD. Does the education establishment think this speech was so brilliant that they are going to invite this girl to speak at some function? Or do they just think she did it for shock value?

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I stand by what I said. It wasn't the right time or place. I didn't say that me or anyone in my family wouldn't be listening. Watch what you say about my family, or anyone else's.

I haven't seen anything about this speech anywhere but here on CD. Does the education establishment think this speech was so brilliant that they are going to invite this girl to speak at some function? Or do they just think she did it for shock value?

You said that most people don't listen to graduation speeches. I'm sorry if I incorrectly assumed that applied to you and your family members.

This speech is being talked about all over the Internet.

[AnonChick]

Katiana, the reason this video is even linked here on CD, is because of its popularity over the internet. If you go to google and type in "Valedictorian speaks out" you'll see dozens and dozens of websites that are referencing this video. Some of those websites have had over 500,000 hits on them because other people referred friends to those sites, as a result of this video.

In internet terms, the video has "gone viral" which means, it has spread so vastly in popularity that anyone who makes a habit of browing the web, has heard of it - if not seen it themselves.

So, the end result, is that this kid spoke EXACTLY to the right people. If she had spoken at a Board of Education meeting, it isn't likely that the video would've gotten very far at all - IF there even was a video. Not every town video-tapes its public meetings afterall.

And if the student had asked for a private meeting with her Senator, there definitely would have been no internet interest, because there would have been no internet presence.