V.C. Im slowly moving to your side on education.

[burniegoeasily]

This summer I have been working with schools and different districts to work on Taks remediation programs. (Taks is the standardized test for Texas that serves as the schools report card). In doing so, I found a disturbing trend. The schools who had a failing rate (unacceptable accountability rate) were blaming their problems on coaches teaching their core subjects. To alleviate the problem they hired new teachers to teach core subjects and took the coaches out giving them fluff duties. I approached this with a statement that did not go over well. I told these districts," fire the coaches and find ones who will work in the class as well as on the field." They would counter thatcoaches are just too busy to work hard in the class. I then would explain, " Why do you pay them a teachers salary plus thousands more to coach?" Nothing but silence. When I coached, I insisted that the classroom came first and then the field. I don't understand the idea of blowing off the class "leading" to school failure and addressing the problem with more teachers at a greater expense to the district.

I still believe there is a place for athletics in schools, I just feel society has lost sight of true sound priorities. What it all boils down to is, society (mommy and daddy) insist their kids are coached by people who demand success so they can say, "See Johnny score that point, that's my boy". But could careless about the class. Or society holds physical accomplishments well above mental betterment. I don't know why this surprises me, it has always been true. Greek Olympics and Gladiators, are just a few examples of this occurring through out time. In our time, we pay a man millions of dollars to throw a ball and starve an educator. Its sad that we, as a society, will fire a coach for loosing games but not minds. This all deemed appropriate by social standards

[BenGarrett]

You're right on the money. Similar situations occur here in Tennessee and I'm pretty sure they probably happen all across America.

You're also right about society's loss of priorities when it comes to academics vs. sports. I was sitting in our high school football coach's office today talking to the coach when he got a call from a parent. The parent was concerned because her son wasn't going to be allowed to be able to play football this year. The coach explained to her that her son wasn't going to be allowed to play because he had failed all eight classes last year. He then explained to her that he was in charge of a new, alternative-learning type program that would allow her son to make more credits faster, thus getting him eventually back in line to graduate with the rest of his classmates. It would also put him in a more structured learning environment, one where teachers are constantly giving one-on-one instruction to the kids instead of allowing them to cruise through a year of failing every single subject. The mom's response? "Let me talk to him and see if that's what he wants to do." Are you kidding me?? If my kid has failed all eight subjects, it sure as heck ain't gonna be "let me see what he wants to do." It's gonna be, here is what you are GONNA do! But the most pitiful part, I thought, was that she wasn't really concerned at all about his academic situation, just the fact that he wouldn't be allowed to play football this year.

[Judyboi]

You know what Burnie, I agree with you. In my highschool our principal loved the athletics department. That isn't wrong, but it is when he awards the football team a new $1K plaque every year, pays for them to have a "team lunch" at a restaurant once a week, and our library only has 150 books for 2500 students.

Also the biggest part I love is a principal loves to talk about "how much scholarship $" they received that year, and then congratulates the sports teams. And the sports scholarships only acounted for .5% of the total value.

The fact that society values the athletics as much as they do disgusts me. I think that academic achievements should be the ones to make the headlines. I think that coaches that have their students in core classes failing, should be fired. I think that teachers should be payed generously in respect to the quality of teaching they give.

Burnie, you should be the man in charge of athletic coaches that are also teachers nationwide. You should set the standard, and I think that you would do an excellent job.

[BenGarrett]

Speaking of scholarships, that is something else that irks me. You can bet that during the spring, we're going to get a dozen phone calls from schools asking us to send a photographer to a "scholarship signing" where a kid is signing an athletic scholarship.

Guess how many phone calls we average requesting a photographer and a reporter to cover the signing of an academic scholarship? NONE!

Also, one of our local high schools is pretty renowned for positioning kids to receive academic scholarships that are members of the football or basketball teams. I have sat through their awards ceremony on a number of occasions and watching students who were outside the top 10 but played on the football team receive far more scholarship moneys than the salutitorian of the class. Ridiculous!

[burniegoeasily]

ORIGINAL: Judyboi

Burnie, you should be the man in charge of athletic coaches that are also teachers nationwide. You should set the standard, and I think that you would do an excellent job.

Thank you, that means a lot to me.

Guess how many phone calls we average requesting a photographer and a reporter to cover the signing of an academic scholarship? NONE!

That is sad. I can't say that for our area (thank God), we have more achademic scholarships than athletic.


Don't get me wrong, im bashing the view society has. I went to college on an athletic scholarship. I was an NCAA All American. I feel it was a stepping stone, not a life. I hold dear the experiences and the work ethic I obtained by being an athlete. It seems some where priorities have made a major "U" turn. Should I have gotten the scholar ship for being anathlete? Who knows, I was one of the top 5 in the nation when it came to my event, but does that constitute the money spent on me? Ill say yea, only because I made the best of it. I finished school with a couple degrees. I pursued my academics instead of athletics, (I had a chance to move onto the next level and earn money as an athlete but chose not to). In my case, the scholarship was appreciated and well used. As far as seeing myself a better person than others because God blessed me with an ability others did not would be silly. Ability is God given, all we can do is expand on what we were blessed with. I guess my grip is on the overemphasis of ones physical ability over others academic ability by society. I was just explaining to my wife yesterday that the people who get the most respect from me are the ones who did not have it as easy. Those who worked there way through college on their own. I feel these are the people who deserve most respect.

[North Texan]

I agree with you 100%.Parent's get mad when little Johnny doesn't win that football game, but to a lot of people it seems like no big deal when Johnny fails a class or two. The only thing that makes it a big deal is eligibility to play football. Not that football in itself is a bad thing, buta lot of parents emphasize athletics and a lot of those same kids probably aren't going to be professional athletes.

As far as scholarships, I don't have a beef with people like you that actually put the scholarship to use. If you need a way to put yourself through college, and your physical abilities can get you there, more power to you. I would say giving people scholarships that don't put them to use annoy's me, but since I've already got my season tickets, I guess I'm fueling the problem.

[Swede 57]

I'm a High School teacher ----- ( and ---- a coach) --- starting his 19th year of teaching.

Too much priority on sports? Maybe. But only when adults allow that to happen.

Something to think about --- when all the wins and losses in all the games in a State (yours or mine) are added up --- What is the percentage of wins compared to losses?

The people who only worry about "wins" need to think about the answer to that question.

And a question for "burniegoeasily" - what sport were you an All-American in?

[BenGarrett]

That is sad. I can't say that for our area (thank God), we have more achademic scholarships than athletic.

Oh, we do too . . .Far, far more. But no one cares or makes a big deal about the academic scholarships.

[hutch451]

Flame on, 90% of the kids graduating with a teaching degree from the college I went to were girls going for thie MRS degree and the jocks that could never make it in profesional sports. The few (teachers) in this country are few and far between. You have to give these coaches a tip o the hat though, they will do anything for thier players (read anything) to keep them on the field. A hell of a lot of teachers give up 30 minutes into the first day of class. Now all of you "good" teachers that read this . back off. I'm not directing this post at you. Yet you know you can"t swing a dead cat in your school without hitting one of them! If you want to know where my frustration and anger comes from, then live in a small town with an autistic child and try to get him educated. My parting remark is if you want good teachers pay them alot and hold them accountable to the nth degree. Someone smarter than me will have figure that on out. The Standered of learning test ( or whatever its called in your state) is a good start but teachers complaine that their students are from different backgrounds and can't be expected to perform well. Well either come up with multible tests or just friggin TEACH. O.K I'm done now, smoothing on the spf 200037 thank you good nite

[aunsaber]

I was also a teacher, for 6 years in the 70's.
I also coached fast pitch softball.
I quit because of all the political crap and other stuff that went with it.
Things too numerous to mention.
Compared to the private sector teachers make plenty and can have other jobs on the side.
The average salary in my district here in Hayseed Kansas is $44k for 185 day contract and the teachers have 5 hours in class and 1 hour prep time.
Thank you NEA.