Taking Athletics Away from Schools????

Everyone,

I'm not sure how many of you are aware of a current piece of legislation working its' way thru the NC General Assembly. Senate Bill 377, is

"AN ACT TO PROHIBIT PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS AT​

SCHOOLS AT WHICH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS INADEQUATE."

Not sure about everyone else, but this does not sound right to me. I've attached a link to the bill itself ( I hope the link works). I would encourage everyone to contact your local politicians, if you are like me and think this piece of legislation stinks.


http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=S377

 

Devil's Advocate

I hate to say it, but I agree with the bill. If 50% of a given school is below academic standards (and those standards are admittedly LOW!), those kids need to be spending their time studying instead of playing ball.

Playing sports, participating in clubs, extra-curricular activites, etc. at schools should be an earned privilege and not a guaranteed right. Study first....play second. Their education will last a lot longer than their athletic career, don't ya think????

Pride08, why do you find this bill inappropriate?

 

I believe it will punish those students who meet the expectations, but happen to live in a school district which does not. What about those 50% who are above standards in a given school? Should they transfer to a school who meets those standards so that they can play softball? Just my thoughts. I usually stay out of these types of discussions.

 

I have to disagree on two counts. One: A lot of the lessons the kids learn from athletics are as important as what they learn in english, math ect. and even more so than art and drama classes.
Two: what if the 50% that is not getting it done are mostly if not all non athletes? Stupid proposal!!

 

I heard this mentioned on the radio a few days ago and I admit I haven't read the bill. But the way it sounded was that an entire school would be prohibited from sports participation if the school as a whole was below the required level. If that's the case, then I agree with Pride08 that it stinks. As far as individual students' grades not being up to par, causing them to be excluded from playing sports, I thought that was already the case in all schools that I know of. And I totally agree with that method of handling the problem. But if it's your daughter who's in the top ten of her class, that finds out there's no softball team this year because half of the school isn't trying......well that stinks.

 

boy.. talk about a mass exodus of varsity athletes for greener pastures!!!!!!

 

...Its inappropriate to punish all for the actions of a few.

I have no problem with raising the bar for our kids, and I have no problem regulating extra curricular activities on an INDIVIDUAL basis,

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Fish

 

WLFAN......glad to see you posting.

You're right the criteria for grades is in place. However, the grades as assigned in the classroom and state expectations are not always the same.

 

Think about the actual CULTURE of a school that has a 50% or above failure rate. Can you imagine what that school must be like??? More than half of the kids wouldn't even be ELIGIBLE to play because of their individual grades.

I want somebody who's child attends such a place to tell me how important they think athletics are supposed to be........in the face of a culture that actually condones a FIFTY PERCENT OR MORE FAILURE RATE????

Are you all seriously wanting to put sports in front of grades in such a dire situation???

 

....so the 50% who are doing well must suffer at the expense of the others?

Example: Math class 101, students are Al, Burt, Carol, Don, Ed, Fred,.....etc., now in this class Al and burt make all A's and the others make F's. The average grade in the class is not good.
Do we make the WHOLE class repeat math 101?
I'm wrong alot, but not this time.
Raise the bar, don't lower it by restricting the good students the opportunity to compete.
JMO