as his name was announced.  As he received the medal of recognition, his chest thrust out and his face was engulfed by a smile as wide as the Mississippi.  His peers, including my daughter, were moved as the oohs and aahs reverberated in the auditorium, and a warm round of appreciation swept through the crowd.  This was America at its best. 

Unfortunately, the culture of triumph- over -adversity, the drive to be the brainiest we can be, the confidence that knowledge and perseverance will win the day and other core American virtues may be endangered species.  What’s the evidence?  For starters, last night’s attendance figures were disappointing.

The district is justifiably proud of its academic performance and has been holding these family oriented ceremonies for several years, yet I noticed and confirmed with administrators that the proportion of certificate recipients who actually attend the event has been declining.  I know, because at my son’s Scholar Night just a couple of years ago, both bleachers were loaded with parents and the floor with students; this year both contingents failed to fill the bleachers.  I asked myself and the dedicated educators: “Why?”

I was relieved to learn that the recipients are excited about T-shirts they get at an in school recognition breakfast.  But the administration is challenged with the realization that other priorities like extracurricular activities and (thankfully) some assignments and tests due today precluded some from attending.  And regrettably there is a more sinister and pervasive cultural brake on the wheels of scholastic excellence—mounting negative peer pressure in the context of declining parental engagement.  I call it the ‘uncool’ factor.  We were of course ecstatic when Shannon told us of the earlier breakfast and its significance for her.  Yet days before last night’s family ceremony she was at best apathetic, and at times downright dismissively negative about attending the ceremony.  What?  My daughter who has grown up in an education zone called the Tobler house?  Now I’m not so naïve to ignore the fact that the labels nerd and geek aren’t 21^st century inventions.  Heck, I was one of the first guys in the 70’s to own a calculator!  But in days gone by, the academically focused kids were only marginalized and ignored by their peers.  Now, according to my sources, the rejection is more overt and vocal, the pressure to be “cool” too strong.   Can I blame her for being proud of her achievement in private, but hesitant to admit it publicly?   

It’s no surprise that our schools are fighting an uphill culture battle.  A recent AP poll found that only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five First Amendment freedoms, yet a substantial majority can list at least two members of Homer Simpson’s family.  As for public policy, President Bush’s 2006 state of the union speech garnered a total of 41.6 million viewers across all networks, while the immediately preceding “American Idol” episode garnered 33 million on Fox alone!   This, a show that only rarely showcases excellence yet applauds ridicule as sport!   Sadly, only 8.8 million of the Idol-ators watching Fox bothered to stay for what was an admittedly typical, but still major political event!

So we the parents are increasingly addicted to tabloid style news, maggot -eating reality TV and refuse to immerse in understanding matters that affect our individual and collective success (these days our very existence). Why then are we surprised that our children can’t make change but can fill every last byte on the I-pod, or instant message with shorthand lingo that infiltrates their speech and written work?   The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and our kids’ priorities might just be reflecting our own distraction.  Professional educators confide that their job is increasingly as much about teaching good parenting habits as it is the Three R’s.

But there is hope.  Ironically, the technology that threatens our academic survival may be its salvation. Information is everywhere. The blogosphere is revolutionary and presides over mainstream media’s declining death grip on information.  Talk radio grows by leaps and bounds, engaging and informing younger and larger audiences.  Regardless of your politics, the allure to passionate discourse is alluring.  Parents will start becoming good examples of learning’s joy.  Educators will find novel ways to help families insist we restore scholastic honor and make “cool” the whole academic enterprise once again.

As our history proves, America’s unbeatable one-two punch of abundant resources and extraordinarily spirited determination will ultimately win the day.  As a reminder, we should all engrave the image on our mind’s eye of the special scholar who proudly brandished his hard earned achievement.  Let’s celebrate scholastics at every turn.

Hey, here’s an idea!  How about sending the cheerleaders to the debate club finals, the chess club championship and the scholar recognition night near you?