2008.08.14
Policy blurs focus on learning
Who is this group of people that persuaded school officials to put in play a kinder, gentler academic policy for student athletes?
I don't know, but in the end, that vocal minority won.
School officials are moving ahead with academic rules that will allow students to play if they fall below a 2.0 grade point average as long as they get tutoring, go to class and behave there.
It's a plan with which the community can live. But it lacks the fear-of-God quality of the original proposal, which would have booted athletes from the team if they performed poorly in the classroom.
While that may sound harsh, education has become devalued. I'm a firm believer that the overwhelming majority of students have the ability to perform at a higher standard in class if someone demands it -- particularly if a spot on the roster or a shot at a varsity jacket is at stake.
Many people I heard from were in favor of the tougher penalty.
"Give kids wiggle room," one woman said, "and they will wiggle."
I agree.
Education is too important to give students a pass. Their performance in the classroom will long outlive their legacy on the playing field. What they do in class will determine the direction of their lives.
But detractors of the zero-tolerance proposal came up with all kinds of flimsy excuses about why the policy wouldn't work. Requiring 2.0 on a 4.0 scale would be too onerous, they said. Students would become discouraged, lose interest in school and quit.
So the board caved.
After the school board meeting Tuesday night, Assistant Superintendent Curt Baker said school officials decided they didn't want to exclude students from extracurricular activities such as band and student government.
The tutoring program will be in place by October -- and Roanokers should make sure coaches, faculty and students adhere to it.
If not, the community should demand school officials go back to the drawing board.
"I expect to see immediate positive results from this new process," said board member Courtney Penn. "However, if that does not turn out to be the case, I am more than willing to revisit the initial recommendation. ... You don't get the opportunity to represent us on Friday night."
Let's make sure that student athletes understand that conditioning their brains is at least as important as participating on the playing field.
Shanna Flowers' column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Truth be told, America has become a soft society floating on sport and play; thus, we are being handed our "lunch" by the rest of the vastly competitive new world powers. Resting on our laurels, with every award show on television given to the art of entertainment as opposed to the science of industrialism. Some churches in the valley are sponsoring a "Booker T. Washington Tour of the South" to revisit some of the guidelines from the past that might help us to get a handle on the future...or else, our "lunch" won't be the only thing handed to us by the rest of the world.
Comment by Bobby Buck — August 14, 2008 @ 6:29 am
Shanna, we already have children who go through school without even knowing the location of the state they live in or the first five presidents of the US. Why on earth would sports take precedent over this? I will tell you why?? As a country, we are so caught up in the celebrity and the money aspect of life that we often forget that without some "good ole learnin' " by our parents and their parents...this society would not even exist...We have college athletes who are "stupid"....so thank you Roanoke for adding to the mix!
Comment by reed — August 14, 2008 @ 8:03 am
Bobby Buck and Reed have nailed it. The public has become too soft, given in to instant gratification and an atmosphere of coddling for every fall. What is needed is a sharp tug on the bootstraps, and a firm yet supportive attitude in getting these kids back on track.
Now I'm off to see if my boss will install a new game system in my cube lest I get bored of work and quit...
Comment by Ed S. — August 14, 2008 @ 9:02 am
I do not believe that an athlete should have a lower "bar", nor should the lack of quality teachers be overlooked[deadwood] and the nutitional needs which are lacking in most kids, which ALL combine to lowered scores.
Comment by Dona Wheeler — August 14, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
Some children are more gifted in athletics than in academics.Also many who would quit school otherwise.. are attending mainly to play sports..I attended Tulane University mainly to play sports...when I got a D in one subject for one grading period I was not allowed to play ...because of that I lost interest in school and quit..hate to see this happen to other promising athletes..and in this era of obese children..sports may be just as important to a childs well being as their grades are..
Comment by Larry — August 15, 2008 @ 7:53 am
Not to belittle Larry's point...but if children had to decide, there would be no school at all. I believe education in America got off track when it was no longer considered a privilege and a source of personal pride to attend school; when in fact, schooling became a mandated requirement. Not everyone will benefit equally from classroom study and that's why trade schools began to play such a vital role; thereby, building a concrete foundation as a mason was as important, if not more so, as getting an "A" in literature or philosophy. However, the American educational system has gone to the extreme of allowing the entertainment of sport and play to replace the science of developing good skills. Unfortunately, this will not cut it for at one time the most advanced society on earth, in the face of increasingly advanced societies around the world. I invite you and others to join in taking the "Booker T. Washington Tour of the South" to get a more indepth understanding of what it means to be "educated".
Comment by Bobby Buck — August 15, 2008 @ 10:42 am
I am all for quality education and for the highest standards in our schools. The USA needs to be competitive with other countries also; and the way to accomplish that is through education. But, we do not need cookie cutter molds. Differing talents should be fully appreciated. Therefore, I have to agree with Larry's comment above.
Comment by Goldenwillow — August 15, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Since when did school become a place to keep children interested by offering sports. Sports and other extra activities should be a reward for a job well done in the class. You don't do well in the classroom, you don't get to play. Simple enough. Just because you happen to be "gifted in athletics" (as Larry put it) in your teenage years does not gaurantee a life of wealth and self sufficiancy later on. Our children must be prepared to handle all types of setbacks and be able to read, write, and be computer savvy to make it t his new world.
Comment by Karen — August 15, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
I am actually amazed at my own reaction to this question. My two grown college grad children might be surprised by my reaction too.
Larry's response touched me. Many life skills are learned by participating in extracurricular activities, skills that are not always found in books. Not to diminish the importance of academics, by any means. I have known numerous excellent students who were not able to make the "cut" to participate on various extracurricular teams. Some became very depressed when they failed to make a certain team or activity, whether sports, chorus, theatre, drill team, etc.
My personal experience in extra curricular activities, such as theatre for one -- gave me more of the communication skills I needed to start a successful business, many years later as an adult, than all the tutoring I received to pass my required algebra courses. In starting a business, I simply found excellent CPA's to keep the books. I could never do what they do, but they sure couldn't do what I was able to accomplish either. I am simply saying that diversity is a good thing and there is more to staying in school than can be gained by grades alone. Therefore, I am all for keeping students in school -- participating in the areas that bring out their particular gifts and passions and also increase their self esteem. Yes, provide them with tutoring and encouragement and strive to keep them in school. They may be learning more than anyone knows.
And how about giving some of the "brainy" students, who may not be qualified to make some of the "extracurricular teams" they wish to join, some extracurricular tutoring? So that they can share in the team experience as well. Obviously, not everyone can excel at everything.
Comment by Goldenwillow — August 15, 2008 @ 9:51 pm
Sports or no sports, SOL's or any other tests, one eyed bus drivers, lying administrators and superintendents......Uncle Wayne Harris crucified and buried Roanoke City Schools and the THING that came after him shoveled in the dirt. All that's left for Rita-pooh to do is plant some flowers on the grave.
Comment by Percy Kution — August 16, 2008 @ 10:37 pm
My final comments on this subject:
Let's not use sports and other extracurricular activities as rewards and punishments for grades. Such activities are not "just play", but valuable opportunities for learning many important life lessons -- and they are also good for mental and physical health.
Let's discover the reasons why under-achievers are bored or otherwise not achieving academically. The advanced (AP) students are usually given the best teachers. And, while some students are self-motivated, most are motivated by parents, grandparents and good teachers. I believe the answer lies more in encouraging and educating parents of under-achieving students. At the same time, let's increase the educational standards and pay necessary to attract excellent teachers. (I know there are wonderful teachers who teach because they love it, but there are simply not enough.)
When the home is not able to provide the appropriate motivation and mental nourishment for students, lets put more efforts into mentoring these children at high risk of falling through the cracks and dropping out. We need to do whatever it takes to keep ALL students in school.
Comment by Goldenwillow — August 17, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Golden Willow,
I am very much intrigued by your response, more so, in how the extra-curricular activity in theatre propelled you into a successful business with the art of better communication. I don't want to downplay the need for sports in getting young people more physically active nor art in acquiring or achieving greater self-esteem, awareness, and meaning in today's society of media-controlled mob mentality. Generally, the only busiensses that come from art, sports, and entertainment are "cottage industries" not the enduring skills for a civilization to survive; e.g. Greece, Rome, and quite possibly...America? As an author of a few publications, you have a story that I would appreciate further details about your road to business success from that of academia. Some of the most gifted professors from whom I have had the pleasure of learning couldn't start a business and make it a success if their very lives depended on it. Feel free to email me as it is listed on my website by clicking my name.
Comment by Bobby Buck — August 17, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
Bobby Buck,
Hmmm, I never expected a direct reply. One never knows what will come about by stepping forward with an opinion. Life is interesting and full of surprises!
My story is not a traditional one by any means. When I was interviewed a few years back by the Blue Ridge Business Journal, it was quite funny to see the reaction that came from having started a successful business with no business experience and no money. It was not the story they expected! I was brave enough to try and even to ask for corporate support (and received it) -- ALL because I had "once upon a time" in school gotten over stage fright and fear of public speaking. Thanks in part to being dragged by a friend to try out for a school play. I won the role of Marie in "Pillow Talk" and it was probably type casting. Even so, I learned through that success that anything is possible.
Without my extracurricular activities in school, I might have been a quitter. It is a longer story, and a recently published short story explains it a bit more. I will email the book info to you later privately, as I have an engagement this afternoon.
There is more than one way to achieve success. We need to recognize that and encourage our differences. At the same time, I am in full support of providing tutoring and mentoring to help students struggling with academics. If my poor grades in math had held me back, I could not have become who I am today.
Comment by Goldenwillow — August 17, 2008 @ 3:26 pm