Quote:
Originally Posted by fjtorres
Nobody likes curve busters, not even library directors. After 9 year old kid, 5-time champ of library summer reading contest, reads 63 books in six weeks, the library director suggests he should stop competing. Alternately, she suggests picking names out of a hat.
Nice way to "encourage" excellence!
This comes to mind:
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Reminds me of a SciFi story I read, where the people with good vison were required to wear glasses that made their vision worse, and fast runners were hobbled and smart people had to wear headphones playing loud distracting sounds. The goal was an equal society.
While people are entitled to their opinions, I can't understand someone in a position of authority over children victimizing one of them that way. Calling him a hog to the press is inexcusable. He may read fast or he may read a lot. I doubt if he does it to be a hog. Just likes reading more than most. I didn't read 10 books a week at that age, but I could have if I wanted to spend less time on other things. I am sure many of the other children could as well. Those that can't read one no matter how hard they try are probably not in the 'contest'.
Rather than embarrassing and basically punishing the child in a thoroughly unprofessional manner, she could have made a rule that the previous years winner could not compete for a year, or made part of the prize a job assisting with next years contest and thus disqualified him. Or perhaps not spoken to the press without first engaging her brain.
Helen