“STAR EDUCATIONAL TEST” JEOPARDY COMPETITION JEOPARDIZED BY WILDCARD QUESTIONS NOT A MATTER OF INTELLECT!
Antioch , California middle school held a Jeopardy competition for its sixth grade students on April 25th, 2008 . The students were absolutely brilliant, however what lost the competition for one team was not a matter of intellect or have anything to do with the Star Education system. It was a matter of inner school “trivia”, like “What is the name of the yearbook teacher?” Or “How many history teachers does Antioch middle school have.
Considering these students studied their hearts out for weeks for this competition in school, going over the “star education system” for this Educational Competition, they competed every day for this to get to the finals, the grand prize was a Limousine ride to Chili’s for a free luncheon
Apparently they did not compete using the surprise component of the final competition, the wild card injection.
The fact that I am writing this for the father of a very bright girl that happens to also be my granddaughter, does not in anyway show a remote possibility of sour grapes. My granddaughter did not lose the competition over the questions related to the “star” system, but rather it seems to something more centered around the personalities of teachers, that the students may or may not even know.
If a student shows brilliance in academics, and they study their hearts out getting straight A’s in school, why should they lose a competition based on grandiose questions that have nothing to do with what the competition was based on?
This was my granddaughters first year in middle school, and granted, she may know HER own teachers names, but what reason would she be required to know HOW MANY history teachers taught at that school, or what the LAST SCHOOL MASCOT was?
The Educational system has lost its sense of fairness, when a competition like this is based on academics, the brightest of them all would lose to an egotistical Wild Card question, that has nothing to do with their intellect, but rather call attention to schoolyard politics or trivia.
I think it’s a shame the way the middle school ran this. In my Opinion, a wild card question should be able to come from ANY category that has to do with the basis of the program: A question of math, science, English, physical educations, that arts, English etc. something they studied within the realm of what the competition was based on to begin with.
Perhaps the publication of this letter will draw attention to the fact that it doesn’t matter what you know, but who you know to make it in today’s world. Perhaps finals will be won by knowing the name of your principals first pet, or the History teachers mistress.
ON a personal note to ZIERRA TIDMORE, YOU RULE BABY! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!
TOP STORY AT MATCEES NEWZ
WWW.YOUNEWZ.COM