Cherry Creek High in Colorado is getting a lot of heat after eliminating the Valedictorian and Salutatorian at school graduation. But they aren't alone. Several schools have done away with the recognition already, including in New York.

"The practices of class rank and Valedictorian status are outdated and inconsistent with what we know and believe of our students," the district Colorado school district wrote in a letter. "We believe all students can learn at high levels, and learning is not a competition."

Cherry Creek isn't the first school to drop the class ranks. Districts across the country have been doing it for years.

No Valedictorian in Fulton

Fulton City School District got rid of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian last year. Instead, the school recognizes Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude honors graduates.

Changes were made because the district wanted more students to value academic learning and create a new mission and vision for the future.

The Fulton School Community will empower students to develop the knowledge and skills to become respectful, responsible, productive citizens who are committed to lifelong learning. Our vision is to create a learning organization that is the centerpiece of the community, where all are welcomed and held to standards of excellence that foster hope and resilience for the future.

“We have shifted from recognizing two students to recognizing more students,” G. Ray Bodley High School Principal Donna Parkhurst told Oswego County News Now.

Syracuse Schools

In 2020 several schools in the Syracuse area elimianted Valedictorians and Salutatorians. Jamesville-DeWitt and Fayetteville-Manlius joined the growing list of districts getting rid of the class rank. Cicero North Syracuse High School started phasing it out three years ago.

No Valedictorian in WNY

Williamsville Central School District in Western New York hasn't had the class ranking for years. The school board eliminated both in September 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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