A_AT0 recent_AJ0 conflict_NN1 in_PRP a_AT0 Mississippi_NP0 high_AJ0 school_NN1 illustrates_VVZ why_AVQ meritocracy_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX0 always_AV0 the_AT0 same_DT0 numerical_AJ0 equality_NN1 ._SENT In_PRP that_DT0 case_NN1 ,_PUN two_CRD African-American_AJ0 students_NN2 were_VBD selected_VVN as_PRP valedictorian_AJ0 and_CJC salutatorian_AJ0 of_PRF their_DPS class_NN1 ._SENT Two_CRD white_AJ0 parents_NN2 then_AV0 complained_VVD that_CJT their_DPS children_NN2 had_VHD higher_AJC numerical_AJ0 grades_NN2 and_CJC ,_PUN according_VVG to_PRP the_AT0 published_AJ0 rules_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 school_NN1 ,_PUN deserved_VVD the_AT0 honors_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 school_NN1 replied_VVD :_PUN Yes_ITJ ,_PUN but_CJC the_AT0 Black_AJ0 students_NN2 took_VVD more_AV0 difficult_AJ0 AP_NN1 and_CJC dual-credit_AJ0 courses_NN2 and_CJC therefore_AV0 should_VM0 be_VBI given_VVN the_AT0 honors_NN2 based_VVN on_PRP their_DPS weighted_AJ0 grade_NN1 point_NN1 average_NN1 ,_PUN even_AV0 if_CJS their_DPS grade_NN1 point_NN1 averages_NN2 were_VBD not_XX0 quite_AV0 as_CJS high_AJ0 in_PRP absolute_AJ0 numbers_NN2 ._SENT My_DPS own_DT0 view_NN1 that_CJT schools_NN2 should_VM0 generally_AV0 take_VVI the_AT0 difficulty_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 classes_NN2 into_PRP account_NN1 in_PRP awarding_VVG honors_NN2 ._SENT Meritocracy_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX0 simply_AV0 a_AT0 matter_NN1 of_PRF numbers_NN2 ._SENT In_PRP some_DT0 sports_NN2 such_DT0 as_PRP diving_AJ0 ,_PUN total_AJ0 scores_NN2 are_VBB calculated_VVN by_PRP considering_VVG the_AT0 difficulty_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 dive_NN1 ._SENT Similarly_AV0 ,_PUN in_PRP academics_NN2 ,_PUN total_AJ0 evaluations_NN2 are_VBB often_AV0 made_VVN based_VVN on_PRP the_AT0 difficulty_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 course_NN1 or_CJC project_NN1 selection_NN1 ._SENT That_DT0 is_VBZ as_CJS it_PNP should_VM0 be_VBI ._SENT Students_NN2 should_VM0 be_VBI encouraged_VVN to_TO0 take_VVI more_DT0 challenging_AJ0 courses_NN2 ,_PUN risking_VVG lower_AJC grades_NN2 ,_PUN rather_AV0 than_CJS to_TO0 take_VVI the_AT0 "_PUQ gut_NN1 "_PUQ courses_NN2 that_CJT increase_VVB the_AT0 likelihood_NN1 of_PRF a_AT0 higher_AJC score_NN1 ._SENT In_PRP the_AT0 end_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 school_NN1 did_VDD what_DTQ it_PNP should_VM0 have_VHI done_VDN :_PUN It_PNP awarded_VVD honors_NN2 to_PRP all_DT0 four_CRD students_NN2 ,_PUN because_CJS the_AT0 formal_AJ0 rules_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 school_NN1 did_VDD not_XX0 yet_AV0 take_VVI into_PRP account_NN1 tougher_AJC or_CJC AP_NP0 courses_NN2 ._SENT In_PRP the_AT0 future_NN1 ,_PUN it_PNP should_VM0 ._SENT What_DTQ seems_VVZ like_PRP a_AT0 small_AJ0 incident_NN1 in_PRP a_AT0 particular_AJ0 town_NN1 that_CJT was_VBD resolved_VVN equitably_AV0 actually_AV0 stands_VVZ for_PRP a_AT0 larger_AJC issue_NN1 ._SENT Meritocracy_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX0 easy_AJ0 ._SENT Judging_VVG people_NN0 is_VBZ an_AT0 extraordinarily_AV0 complex_AJ0 and_CJC difficult_AJ0 task_NN1 ._SENT As_CJS a_AT0 professor_NN1 for_PRP 50_CRD years_NN2 ,_PUN I_PNP dreaded_VVD grading_VVG my_DPS students_NN2 ._SENT I_PNP wanted_VVD them_PNP all_DT0 to_TO0 get_VVI A_NP0 's_POS ._SENT My_DPS goal_NN1 was_VBD not_XX0 to_TO0 evaluate_VVI them_PNP but_CJC to_TO0 educate_VVI them_PNP ._SENT But_CJC in_PRP the_AT0 end_NN1 ,_PUN I_PNP had_VHD to_TO0 evaluate_VVI students_NN2 ,_PUN based_VVN largely_AV0 on_PRP their_DPS performance_NN1 on_PRP written_AJ0 exams_NN2 ,_PUN papers_NN2 and_CJC projects_NN2 ._SENT Although_CJS I_PNP tried_VVD hard_AJ0 to_TO0 create_VVI objective_AJ0 criteria_NN2 ,_PUN I_PNP never_AV0 completely_AV0 succeeded_VVN ._SENT I_PNP leaned_VVD over_AVP backwards_AV0 not_XX0 to_TO0 prefer_VVI students_NN2 who_PNQ agreed_VVD with_PRP me_PNP and_CJC not_XX0 to_TO0 downgrade_VVI students_NN2 with_PRP whom_PNQ I_PNP fundamentally_AV0 disagreed_VVD ._SENT I_PNP think_VVB I_PNP succeeded_VVD in_PRP that_DT0 task_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC subjectivity_NN1 still_AV0 reigned_VVN ._SENT Occasionally_AV0 I_PNP would_VM0 get_VVI a_AT0 student_NN1 who_PNQ had_VHD performed_VVN superbly_AV0 in_PRP class_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC whose_DTQ exam_NN1 —_PUN blind-graded_AJ0 —_PUN did_VDD not_XX0 measure_VVI up_AVP ._SENT I_PNP recall_VVB apologizing_VVG to_PRP several_DT0 students_NN2 over_PRP the_AT0 years_NN2 for_PRP not_XX0 taking_VVG into_PRP account_NN1 their_DPS class_NN1 participation_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC school_NN1 rules_NN2 precluded_VVD that_CJT for_PRP classes_NN2 over_PRP a_AT0 certain_AJ0 size_NN1 ._SENT 
