To achieve a high school diploma is not a particularly difficult task, of which, just essentially showing up and doing the minimum of work is often good enough to get across the finish line. In truth, there ought to be real credentials that need to be achieved in order to truly earn a high school diploma, but in the absence of such a standard, the least this nation owes its high performers is to differentiate them from those who are just doing the minimum.
So then, certain high school graduates really ought to get a certificate that stipulates that they have credentials, or they get one without credentials, and those with credentials should be accorded the respect that hard work and dedication deserve. That said, not everyone is academically inclined, which is why there needs to be multiple pathways to obtain credentials, of which, the traditional one would include taking college courses while in high school, having a high ACT score, or having a high SAT score, but in none of these should GPA be relevant, because the problem with GPA is that many schools, just make it a formality to get a high grade, whereas the scholastic testing of a student, or college course work completed, definitely proves their mettle.
So too, it is vital to understand that just having students who are academically high performers, should not necessarily supersede everything, because some sensible people just aren’t academically gifted, but they are gifted in other areas, such as in the arts, or in public service, or in general hospitality, of which, these are very important attributes, so that, those that have these particular skillsets, as well as other skills of merit, should be provided with a pathway that will permit them to also graduate with credentials. That is to say, academics has its place, but it is not the only thing, and a strong argument could be made that some of the finest people in this nation, aren’t all that academically gifted, but they are paragons of virtue, of self-sacrifice, and of a belief that it is noble to do what they can to help make their society a better place for their good participation in it.
Look, whether this nation should work harder on motivating its students to actually learn and to become something of substance, is something that needs to be addressed, but in the meanwhile those students that are in a good place in achieving something of substance, should be encouraged, and not only that they should receive some sort of benefits from their government to help get them to the place that they desire to go, because the more successful the students of today are, the better it will be for our nation, which is why it is vital that this government of, for, and by the people invest into that which will help assure that America remains a beacon of freedom, fairness, and opportunity, as compared to simply permitting more and more of Americana to degenerate into enclaves of hopelessness and incivility.