Honor roll story makes media splash

It was supposed to be a friendly heads-up to parents.

Needham High principal Paul Richards e-mailed parents last Sunday about his decision to stop sending the honor roll list to the local newspaper for publication.

Within days, the e-mail snowballed into a media firestorm. The story was bandied about Boston's TV stations, by columnists in the Globe and Herald, and on radio talks shows.

Needham was even the butt of a joke on "The Tonight Show."

Nithya Prabhala , 18, said a friend told her, "Oh my God! Needham was on Jay Leno!"

Media critics blasted Richards for coddling his students. Rush Limbaugh chided Richards in a Dec. 13 broadcast for caving under parental pressure.

"So one parent complained and the school bent over backwards! They just fell, spine turned to mush," Limbaugh said.

Blogger Nancy Reyes , who said she used to live in Boston and now lives in the Philippines, wrote: "Heavens help us if we hurt the emotions of some of the poor students and make them feel inferior to kids who work a lot harder than they do."

Richards said he never expected that the policy would spark so much attention. "I'm shocked," the principal said by e-mail Thursday.

"This was simply an FYI to parents, until it was fed to the media by parents who disagreed with this. I had no intention of making a public stand."

In light of the backlash, the principal said he hopes the story gets the debate rolling on how schools can reduce stress.

"There is indeed a value in providing 'food for thought' on an issue that many would like to think doesn't exist," he wrote.

The folks most affected by Richards' decision seem to be the least riled up.

Prabhala, a senior, said that publishing the honor roll list in the paper matters more to parents than students.

"How many kids read the newspaper?" she said. "Personally, it wasn't the biggest deal."

Sharing grades is a widely accepted practice among students at Needham High, she said.

"We know who's on it and who's not," said Prabhala.

Nathan Chan, 14 and a freshman, said he did not mind that the honor roll is no longer published.

"It's not accurate," said Chan. "It's easier for some students to get on the honor roll than others."

Chan said that a C in an accelerated class is like a B+ in the honors classes so that it's more difficult for students in the accelerated classes to make the list.

Caroline Barr , 17, a senior, said, "There's definitely a buzz at school. Everyone thinks it's kind of ridiculous," she said, referring to the coverage.

Barr said that her parents circle her name in the Needham Times, but usually toss the article after a few days. "It's just a list of names in the paper," she said.

Still, she acknowledged that the list is a tangible reminder when she doesn't make it. "Some times that I haven't been on the high honor roll, I'll look at it and say, 'Oh that's who got it.' "

Barr said she thinks it's a step in the right direction to stop publishing the list. "Having the names in the paper can add to stress," she said.

She said that Needham has a cutthroat learning atmosphere.

"Especially with colleges, you have to do everything so perfectly," said Barr, citing the pressure to be a "well-rounded student" with good grades, community service, and a host of after-school clubs and internships on your resume.

Barr said a lot of students size each other up by where they're applying to college. Many want to go to small New England liberal arts colleges such as Bates , Bowdoin , and Middlebury, said Barr.

Her mother, Connie Barr, is copresident of the high school Parent-Teacher Council. Barr agreed with her daughter that the issue was blown out of proportion.

Of the criticism, Barr said, "It seemed to have to do with, why should we coddle our kids? That's irrelevant."

Fellow co-president Rachel Miller , the mother of a high school freshman and junior, said she supports the principal's decision.

"I was horrified how the radio shows vilified the principal for his decision," Miller said.

The idea of not sending out the honor roll came up last spring at a meeting of the School Council, which is made up of faculty, students, and parents, according to a brief memo Richards sent to students and parents this month.

Richards said he received 60 e-mails last week both supporting and criticizing his decision. Those who want the honor roll published said it serves as a counterbalance to the typical fare of high school news in the papers, dominated by sports and tragedies.

The suicide of four students from Needham in the past two years has heightened concerns about academic pressure.

Reducing teen stress has been one of Richards's major goals since he took charge of the 1,400-student school two years ago at the age of 33. In an interview last year, he said that Needham's intense atmosphere contrasted sharply with that of his previous district on Nantucket Island. There, he said, the challenge was getting students to understand the value of a formal education.

Richards has since enacted no-homework zones during holidays and long weekends. He also allows students to take time out from class to participate in discussions where they can share concerns about issues such as racism, homophobia, and academic pressure.

The school is considering new ways to recognize academic achievement, such as administrators sending out personalized letters to students.

Some students say they don't need praise from the public.

"It's on my report card," said Prabhala. "As long as my parents see it, that's all I care about."

To read the e-mails, go to nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/Menu/NHS.html and click on "Daily Bulletins." Lauren K. Meade can be reached at lmeade@globe.com.