A valedictorian, by definition, is a student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation, generally the student with the best grades out of the class. The sentiment behind having a chosen representative to send a class off to their future is endearing, but it doesn’t have to be contingent on grades. Why should grades be the end-all-say-all when it’s becoming more widely accepted that they don’t accurately measure one's work ethic and devotion to their education?

An extremely traditional means of assessment, grading a performance feels natural, creating a scale so that it can be compared with something else. It’s easy to look at a well-written essay and say that it deserves an A, but grading on a letter or number scale fails to factor growth into consideration. Conventional new modes of assessment try to factor a student’s growth in; a student whose parents are journalists and a foreign-exchange student won’t have the same amount of growth over the course of a year-long English class, so how do we take that into account when reporting on performance? With the current grading system, it can be easy to tailor studying or “learning” to preset standards, such as a test, project, or worksheet, without actually delving very deep into a topic. Measuring performance by taking growth into account leaves a lot more room for intellectual expansion in all directions, not just towards the test.

Education should encourage the brightest among us to be taking risks, delving into action, and solving problems hands on, not just modifying algorithms. No kid who ever rebelled won class valedictorian, and we should be encouraging positive engagement. If we chose instead to reward our peer who has contributed the most, or challenged themselves to do something extraordinary, whether it be summiting a perilous peak, or building a bad-ass robot, schools would inspire students to take more risks. Throughout history, from the agricultural revolution to the industrial or the technological, no big gains were ever made through obedient work. If even just one student is encouraged to imagine outside the box, I believe the gain would make the change worthwhile.

We shouldn’t do away with the idea of a farewell speech, a metaphorical send-off meant to inspire a thriving beginning to our next chapters. But we also shouldn’t be as dense to think that our traditions are not due for a reevaluation. It will always be a struggle to designate a representative to speak for a large group of people, and it’s a contrived idea to believe that whoever is best suited for that role. Schools should instigate a new policy, where every member of the graduating class is given a vote on electing a representative to speak for their class. We are a nation filled with pride in democracy, so why have our schools forgotten how to use it?

After all, we think we have the best idea of who we are, so why not let us show you? Grades may not be the best means of assessing intelligence or effort, but unfortunately, I don’t see them disappearing anytime soon. Personally, I would carry the accomplishment of being the sole electee to speak for my entire grade much further along with me into my future. That would demonstrate to me that there is a group of people who believe in me, my abilities, and more importantly, my ideas. Those who need external recognition for their academic efforts will always have class rankings, and they can frame that if need be. But schools should let us choose someone who we think could best intertwine into all of our essences into their potent prose.