Where’s the All-Timesland scholar edition?
By Heather Simmons
I counted. It came to 333 names in the All-Timesland 2011-12 insert in last weekend’s paper (Sunday, June 24). All were outstanding athletes deserving of recognition.
In fact, the cover clearly states, “Celebrating the year’s best high school athletes,” which is obvious based on the stats included with each student’s name. Out of the 333 listed, nine of these students are from the school system where I teach, and seven of them I know from their years in middle school. I am extremely proud of their accomplishments and this recognition because they deserve it. The athletes I knew personally were also accomplished students and have wonderful personalities. My hat is off to each of them.
While I celebrate these students, as a long-time educator, each year about this time, I cannot help but notice that we are failing to recognize the year’s best academic students. Where is the insert applauding those students?
Simmons lives in Botetourt and has been an educator for 21 years.
July 1, 2012 - 8:01 AM
But Heather, academics aren’t important. Just look to Montgomery County, where the school board attempted to take some of the budget burden off the teachers and pass it on to others with “pay to play” for sports. Even though the $79,000 was a small part of the $400,000 subsidy for sports, there was a great whine about how big a hardship this would be, how this would limit participation in sports, and could hurt attendance at events. The school board said “never mind” and dropped the program, and will hope to come up with the money by looking for loose change in all the school bus seats.
Meanwhile, the Christiansburg boosters hit up a bunch of businesses around town and managed to get money, equipment, and services donated to fix a football practice field to the tune of over $35,000. A well will provide water to irrigate the field and it will eventually be lit (no word on how much it will cost the school system in utilities to do this). All this effort will benefit 80 football players. It is a nice project and the boosters are really proud. But I’ll bet that field is pretty much off-limits to anyone else, after all that work. Bet the marching band doesn’t have as nice a place to practice its drill and formations.
How many students could have benefited from that $35,000 had it been spent in one of the elementary schools in town? Would businesses have coughed up as much had the request been for academics instead of for the football team? Maybe, maybe not. Christiansburg seems to be trying to become the Salem of the New River Valley with its sports facilities, but academics in Montgomery County aren’t that important — just look at how the schools have been underfunded for years.
Yes, it would be nice if there were more attention paid to what goes on it the classroom and with the extracurricular academic events. “Friday Football Extra” does show snippets of the marching bands, but it would be nice if there were more attention paid to these performances than that 30-second shot. I’ll bet more band members go on to successful careers in the music field as teachers, performers, and in related areas than any of the sports figures who get so much attention. And this is just one example.
But I’ve been told “Sports are important, they teach teamwork. Sports are the only reason some kids come to school.” So there you have it, if we don’t have sports, little Johnny would just sit at home and play video games.
Speaking the truth sister.
And less face it… no one cares if you’re “smart.” They just think you’re a smart-’a’ when you present the true, proper answer… or even a well-thought out opinion on something. It is amazing! I salute any child that “worries” about their grades and tries to excel though grade school. My hat is off to you. But you’d better buck up and realize that the football player is going to get all the glory. AND the great majority of the money, too.
that’s “Let’s”… see: “Not so smart.”