Come see how hard the classes are for yourself

Regarding comments made by Dick Fredericks (Jan. 9) regarding Cedar Rapids schools and Washington Principal Ralph Plagman's Jan. 2 guest column:

Did you ever think that the reason there are 67 valedictorians in one high school is because high school students are getting smarter, not dumber?

In the Cedar Rapids School District, a valedictorian is anyone with a cumulative grade point average of 4.165 or higher. I have taken five Advanced Placement (AP) classes in my 3 1/2 years at Kennedy, which is the only way to achieve a GPA of over 4.0.

The AP tests that may be taken following completion of these classes are not “dumbed-down.” These tests are given to high school students nationwide!

If they're “dumbed down,” then is every high school student in America getting dumber? That's a pretty big assertion to make, isn't it?

I spend hours studying and completing my homework. If you really believe I have to work so hard because I'm dumber than I would be if I graduated from high school 20 years ago, then spend a day as a Kennedy, Washington or Jefferson student. I think you'd be surprised about how difficult the classes really are and how much of a challenge school really is for today's high school students.

Lindsay Meade

Kennedy High School

Cedar Rapids