Thank you for your piece about elaborate 8th grade graduation ceremonies. As a former 8th grade teacher in the Los Angeles public schools, I was amazed by how elaborate a production our graduation ceremony became–students dressed in suits and prom-style dresses, marching across a bandstand in the middle of a football field, cheered on by hordes of adoring families. When I asked a fellow teacher about the appropriateness of such a celebration, I was told, “this is probably the only graduation ceremony a lot of these kids will ever have.” That is the problem. By making a fuss, we overinflate the accomplishment, and send the wrong signal to young people. Completing 8th grade is a small step toward becoming educated; by itself, it is not a significant achievement. We should reserve formal ceremonies for truly important occasions, like college graduations.
