It apparently is no longer an accomplishment.
Valedictorians make good workers but not good leaders. They got there by following the program. It’s hard to look up to someone who will on the day after graduation be just like everyone else. These people stick around for that year or 2 when they can graduate early. Our HS counselors were against it for their own selfish reasons.
K-12 should be blown up. The valedictorian is a part of the problem.