Is there a broader war on merit in our public school system? Maybe. Is sending National Merit certificates out a few weeks late evidence of such a conflict?

Is there a broader war on merit in our public school system? Maybe. Is sending National Merit certificates out a few weeks late evidence of such a conflict? No. Does this article come across as a tempest in a teacup, thereby also weakening its argument that there is a broader war on merit? Yes. Propagandists would be wise to choose their battles, Chicken Littling every bureaucratic snag or even isolated incident as evidence of a widespread issue creates fatigue.