>> THE SCHOOL WANTED TO
RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AS
INDIVIDUALS, NOT THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS.
AS IF THE TWO HAD TO BE
SEPARATED.
THE KIDS GOT THEIR CERTIFICATES
WEEKS AFTER EARLY COLLEGE
APPLICATION DEADLINES DROPPED
ONTO THEIR DESKS AS IF IT WAS
JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER.
IT IS PART OF THIS AGENDA THAT
IS THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA.
>> Griff: A VIRGINIA MOM
OUTRAGE IS A TOP LOCAL
HIGH SCHOOL IS ACCUSED OF HIDING
STUDENT’S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS,
BLOCKING THEM FROM INCLUDING
THESE HONORS ON COLLEGE
APPLICATIONS ALL IN THE NAME OF
EQUITY.
FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR DOUGLAS
MARY IS HERE TO REACT.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
LEADING THE FIGHTS, BROKE THIS
STORY.
AND YET, HERE, DELAYING THE
RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL MERIT
AWARDS BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS
FROM THEIR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
CHANCES.
NO REACTION.
>> SHE IS A TERRIFIC JOURNALIST.
A TERRIFIC MOM, AND A TERRIFIC
AMERICAN.
I AM SO PLEASED THAT SHE STUCK
OUT TO THE STORY ABOUT WHAT IS
GOING ON ABOUT TOM
PRINCE JEFFERSON HIGH.
THE FIRST THING IS PERFECTLY
CLEAR AS SHE SAYS IN HER
REPORTING WHILE THE SCHOOL IS
DOING THIS.
THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT
AWARDING SOME STUDENTS
EFFECTIVELY MERIT CERTIFICATES
MIGHT DEMORALIZE PEOPLE WHO
DON’T GET THEM.
EFFECTIVELY, YOU’VE GOT A KIND
OF HIERARCHY.
IF THERE’S ONE THING WE’VE GOT
TO AVOID IN 21ST CENTURY
AMERICA, IT’S ANY KIND OF
HIERARCHY.
PUTTING THAT PERSON ABOUT THAT
PERSON BECAUSE OF ACHIEVEMENT.
SCHOOL IS LARGELY ABOUT
ACHIEVEMENT.
BECAUSE YOU MIGHT FLUNK IT ONE
YEAR DOESN’T MEAN YOU WILL THE
NEXT GOOD BUT, YEAH, WE HAVE TO
HAVE SYSTEMS OF GRADATION.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY DOING THIS
STEPPING BACK SAYING, IT WOULD
LIKE TO LOOK AT THE CHILD AS AN
INDIVIDUAL IN THE ROUND.
AND NOT JUST ON THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS.
SORRY, OTHER PEOPLE CAN DO THAT.
HOME CAN DO THAT.
SCHOOL, IT’S ABOUT YOUR
ACHIEVEMENTS.
>> Joey: THE SCHOOL SAYING THE
QUIET PART OUT LOUD.
WE A QUOTE FROM BRANDON,
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES
OBTAINED BY "THE NEW YORK POST"
SAYING THIS.
"WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS
FOR WHO THEY ARE AS INDIVIDUALS,
NOT FOCUS ON THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS."
AND LITTLE JOHNNY OR SUSIE SPENT
ENDLESS HOURS STUDYING,
PREPARING, AND MAKE
STRAIGHT As AND QUALIFIES FOR
AN AWARD, WE SHOULD NOT MAKE
THAT MORE VALUABLE PERHAPS THEN
THE STUDENT WHO DIDN’T DO THE
HARD WORK.
>> IS WORTH TAKING A MOMENT TO
REFLECT HOW FAR WE HAVE, IN THIS
COUNTRY TO THIS EXTENT.
THIS IS THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THE
SMARTEST MINDS THAT THE WORLD
LET ALONE THIS COUNTRY EVER
PRODUCED.
A MAN WHO TAUGHT HIMSELF AS WELL
AS WAS TAUGHT.
HE TAUGHT HIMSELF AN ASTONISHING
AMOUNT.
HE DIDN’T DO THAT BECAUSE OF WHO
HE WAS AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
HE DID IT THROUGH ACHIEVEMENT.
IF MR. AND MRS. JEFFERSON SR.
HAD SAID WE WANT TO LOOK AT
LITTLE THOMAS AS AN INDIVIDUAL,
NOTICE IS ACHIEVEMENTS, I’M NOT
SURE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE EVER
BEEN A THOMAS JEFFERSON.
THERE CERTAINLY WOULDN’T BE A
SCHOOL NAMED AFTER HIM.
THIS COUNTRY IS BUILT ON
PEOPLE’S ACHIEVEMENTS, NOT JUST
ON WHO THEY ARE AS INDIVIDUALS
WHICH IS THE MODERN SPEAK FOR
EFFECTIVELY, LET’S MAKE SURE
EVERYONE HAS PRIZES.
>> Joey: THAT SUCH A SALIENT
POINT.
THOMAS JEFFERSON WOULD BE
ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE.
LET ME ASK YOU, WHY SHOULD
PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY CARE
ABOUT THIS STORY IN VIRGINIA?
>> IT IS EMBLEMATIC OF SOMETHING
THAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AS A WHOLE.
THERE IS THIS DEEP UNCERTAINTY
AMONG TEACHERS, TEACHER UNIONS,
AND EVERYONE ELSE IN EDUCATION.
A SORT OF SEEM TO THINK THAT
THEIR JOB IS TO SORT OF CREATE
FULLY ROUNDED POLITICAL
ACTIVISTS OF SOME KIND WHO HAVE
ALL THE RIGHT OPINIONS AND SORT
OF PUSH THE OTHER STUFF THAT
THEY USE TO CONCENTRATE ONTO THE
SIDE.
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY THINK
THINGS LIKE MARRIAGE ARE BAD FOR
THEY THINK THINGS LIKE
ACHIEVEMENT ARE BAD.
THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY TALKING IN
THE TERMS OF POLITICAL
ACTIVISTS, NOT ACADEMIC
EDUCATORS.
IT DOES SPEAK TO THIS THING WE
HAVE ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTRY IN
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
THIS HAS TO BE TURNED ON ITS
HEAD.
AMERICA HAS TO BE COMPETITIVE IN
THE 21ST CENTURY.
TO BE COMPETITIVE, WE HAVE TO