Kudos to the Somerset County branch of the NAACP for demanding that students be required to keep a 2.0 average in order to participate in sports. These folks obviously have their priorities in order.
Unfortunately for the Wicomico and Worcester Boards of Education this raises a serious question. Why do they seemingly place a higher priority on sports participation than academic achievement?
Wicomico only requires students to maintain a 1.6 GPA. Worcester? 1.75 As we approach budget time, the two boards should be asked some hard questions. Bad teachers can't be fired. Money is wasted on often meaningless bureaucratic programs. But ... we need to make sure that kids who can't get at least a C in all of their classes should be able to play football or basketball.
I'm dying to hear a response to this one.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Unfortunately for the Wicomico and Worcester Boards of Education this raises a serious question. Why do they seemingly place a higher priority on sports participation than academic achievement?
Wicomico only requires students to maintain a 1.6 GPA. Worcester? 1.75 As we approach budget time, the two boards should be asked some hard questions. Bad teachers can't be fired. Money is wasted on often meaningless bureaucratic programs. But ... we need to make sure that kids who can't get at least a C in all of their classes should be able to play football or basketball.
I'm dying to hear a response to this one.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
20 comments:
The Wicomico Bd. of Ed. bends over backward and then some to favor minority students. Requiring only a 1.6 is ridiculous, but their thinking is that minority kids will not work in school or will not even attend if they can't have their football and basketball. Kids won't work so therefore standards have to be very, very low to accommodate them. Aren't children in special ed exempt from even having a 1.6? That covers a huge number of minority males with extremely low GPAs. My hat is off to the Somerset NAACP for taking a sensible, mature stand. Wicomico will never follow that path.
I can see the intent of allowing kids without the grades to play sports. They're figuring the life lessons learned in sports, like discipline, motivation and teamwork, will keep some of these kids out of trouble and maybe even translate into better grades in the classroom. But I think by taking this approach, the purpose of attending school is taken away from the classroom and onto the field or court. Is the purpose of school to teach students and prepare them to become productive citizens, or is it simply a place for kids to go to occupy their time? It also caters to the kids that under perform in the classroom, than reward the students that meet or exceed the established standards. But that’s where we’re going as a society. We’re rewarding the kids and adults just for showing up. It doesn’t take long for those working to make the grade to realize they can do just as well, if not better, just for showing up. I wonder how those kids will react when they go into the real world and discover employers won't give them money to entice them to simply show up for work? The reality is, many have it figured out that the government will reward them simply for breathing.
America spends more money per student than any other country in the world. Why is it people could learn in one room schoolhouses, or in classes with 40-50 students in days gone by, but they can't seem to learn today? Even the curriculum, testing and testing grades have been dummied down to accommodate the student of today. We have raised a generation of fat, lazy, unmotivated slobs who go into the world thinking everything is all about them. When education starts buying into that failing mindset, we're doomed as a nation.
I happen to think it's crap!
We ALL want to see our children do well GA, that's a given. However, some people are capable of being book smart and others are more street wise.
I have always been one to excel at whatever I put my mind to but I have to enjoy what I'm doing.
That being said, I can remember several teachers tell me that I would never amount to anything. Today, believe it or not, I'm actually very close friends with those teachers to whom I proved wrong.
Am I a great speller, no. Am I a great writer, no. However, if I want to get a point across and create discussion, well, I think my numbers have proven I do it better than anyone you personally know out there and that includes educated people from the Daily Times who are very educated.
I was an excellent athlete when I was younger. I used to be able to throw a football like no other kid I knew. I could play soccer extremely well and baseball, forget about it! I could hit the ball right handed or left just as accurate either way and I could make a baseball sail like you wouldn't believe.
Today I can still drive a golf ball more than 300 to 350 years almost every time. Many have been amazed at what I can do at the game of golf. Let's even talk about Pool. I think you can confirm through many around here, there's not a single person around that can beat me at a serious game of pool and I even played on the Pro Tour for many years.
So should I have been punished because I didn't excel with grades? I think not. In fact, I personally think that if that's the way you can feel good about yourself, I encourage it. Granted, if someone simply isn't trying, that's a different story. I believe it';s up to the professionally educated teachers to be able to pin point each students strengths and weaknesses and customize an education that works for that student.
YOUR opinion will simply enlarge the population in jails across America and I think you're wrong on this one. Then again, you are book smart and I expect posts like this from you. I still love you any way brother.
The problem is that sports are overglorified in our schools already. Stephen Decatur is commonly know as the Stephen Decatur Athlectic Academy, and all of this hype gives these athletes a false sense of success. How many are really going to play pro ball? The kids are also taught that they can get away with things if they are athletes. This does not help these kids in the long run.
A 1.6 or 1.75? You can be brain dead and get those grades. Come on!
Can you believe that it is the Somerset County attorney Krik Simpkins that wants to lower the GPA. I agree with the NAACP on this one.
If 11:23 is right and the standard of 1.6 does not apply to special education students, are we saying that kids who do not have learning disabilities cannot earn above a D+ but do have time for daily practices, away games, etc.? Kids with average ability should be able to get average grades, especially given how inflated grades are in schools today. Bottom line, if it's going to require kids to work and to meet an average standard, Wicomico County is not going to do it.
Joe, I could strike your butt out in a New York minute. Ill be bringing the heater, and the drop ball.
You have to give them something to work for. That is the problem now, everyone thinks they are suppose to get everything free, just because they want it. Like at a job, they can't start from the bottom up like we did. They have to be the CEO. Come on people - GET A LIFE!
I agree with Joe and others on this issue, requiring a 1.6 may be ridiculous to some but it gives the child a chance to be nutured.
Look at Juan Dixon, a standout at Maryland whom no other college wanted because of academics. He goes on the lead Mayland to a national championship, graduates, and makes it to the NBA all because Gary Williams gives him a chance. As a former athlete and coach my character improved dramatically due to fellow athletes and coaches who were my mentors.
I doubt you will find a coach in Wicomico County that wouldn't support a hike up to 2.0. I coached in the county for many years, and if I could have enforced it on my own, I would. But we were specifically instructed we could not impose a higher GPA for our teams. It's not the coaches blocking this one, I can assure you of that.
"Aren't children in special ed exempt from even having a 1.6?"
Not anymore. There used to be a blanket exemption for them, but now, it must be specifically included in the kid's Special Ed plan, and I haven't seen one yet that includes it, and I coached and still teach.
welcome to wicomico county math
1.6 = C
In order to 'pass' a class, a students needs only a D in either of quarters 1 - 3, a D in 4th quarter, and a C or better in one of the two semester exams.
Really, get an A first term, and you pass..
Now, now, 7:05 p.m., you have to pass 4th quarter, too. Don';t exaggerate. You can only fail miserably in 2 quarters, while passing two other quarters, to pass for the year. As long as 1 of them is 4th.
Well if they dont do good in school, then about all they have to lean back on is sports which is very unlikely they will live off playing sports. But some do, and just because they cant learn trigonometry doesnt mean they cant be somebody. Give them a chance no matter what GPA they have.
Joe ill take you on in a serious game of pool anyday. Once i warm up its over.haha
asdfjkl,
Better have a really FAT wallet.
I am divided on this one....a good education is priceless and almost always brings success it is moot if one has no common sense.
And not all kids will go to college.Vocational education is so underated and undervalued these days but skilled trades also equal successful careers.
Athletics have a place,but at the same time everyone needs something to fall back on.Not all great players will become the next Michael Jordan or A-Rod.
Great topic!
When you look at Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico, Wicomico's standards for students will always be lower. Minority students will always be favored. The entire football team and the entire basketball team can be African-American; we parents are told that kids need to quality based on ability and performance and that many white kids lack the ability to be on certain varsity teams. Fine. But if the math team or an advanced English class is mostly white, all heck breaks loose. The answer that qualifying is based on ability and performance is never given. Kids are put in those classes to give racial balance, and performance has nothing to do with it. Elementary and middle school classes are the same. Ability and performance count if the minority students do better in an area, and it's fine with the Bd. of Ed. if the whole group is minority. No whites, they didn't qualify. But race counts if minorities are not as able in whatever area. No blacks, put them in anyway.
OK, I had a great conversation with a friend of mine not long ago about this topic and while they changed the subject based around college and held a better arguement on this subject, I reminded them that this Post was not based around college.
I also added the following, to which I think most will agree.
When it comes to local forums held recently and the discussion turned to crime, what do YOU think the two top answers were to curbing crime?
1. Give the kids something to do, a place to go, keep them busy.
2. Faith based organizations.
Take sports away from kids in school and you take away HOPE!
Take them out of something they enjoy more than anything in this world and they will turn to crime.
I think what they're doing sucks and I think it's wrong. If you want to punish them for attendance, so be it. However, Sports could be the ONLY reason they show up for school on a daily basis. More government control, that's all this is. The BOE should get slapped because Somerset County has more blacks then any other County around and it's just the Good Old Boys punishing them again and the NAACP was stupid enough to fall for it.
If kids are in school only for sports they are going to be a distraction to the kids who are there to do the right thing.
Joe if want want dumb kids to support if and when they graduate, lowering grades and standards are the way to go. I personally am tired of people getting something for nothing which is what this is encouraging.
Remember sports isn't a right it's privilege just like a drivers license. Would you like a kid that gets the equivalent of a "D" getting a drivers license?
And why are you always bashing Somerset County? You get turned down for a job or something?
It was about Bobby Jones, then BOE and the newest one bashing the 911 center. I understand Bobby ( he probably deserved it), even the BOE but why 911?
If it's because all the articles kept saying 911 wouldn't releasae the tapes, you are wrong. I know someone there and there is no tapes to release with any relevence to them. When Jones alledgedly hit the woman she had already been transferred to MSP. Once the call is transferred and the dispatcher hangs up the recording ends. Maybe you should do more research before you post this stuff.
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