Vouchers = No More High School Sports!?!
KCPW has a choice story up on their site today about Paul Mero’s proposal to eliminate public high school athletics in order to make private schools more palatable to Utah’s parents and students. I wonder if Parents for Choice in Education will add this idea to their telephone push poll script? Not likely I’ll bet.
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For the record I’m against taxpayer funding for any sports. I just think it is a waste. If it were up to me taxpayers wouldn’t be soaked for any high school, collegiate, or professional athletics. I’d even lobby against my tithing dollars going towards any BYU athletics if I thought it would do any good!
Comment by Jeremy Manning — August 23, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
I think removing sports programs as a core function of a high school is a great idea. (How exactly Paul Mero involves vouchers is beyond me.) Those programs consume an inordinate amount of time and resources that should be devoted to the core mission of education, not to mention the cost of gyms and extra land for fields and courts.
So your kids want to play football? Pop Warner would like to hear from you. Or start a community league fueled by donations. Just stop asking me to be compelled to pay for your childrens’ hobby.
Comment by Jesse Harris — August 23, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
No sports already makes private school more attractive to me. I have nothing against sports in school except that in the last few years they seem to have become more demanding (too demanding in my opinion) on the time and energy of those students who want to participate. I know a young athlete who was told by his coach that he would not be a starter if he chose to go to scout camp. Sports should not rule the lives of those who want to participate.
Comment by David — August 23, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
I honestly think this is a case of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what will stick and what won’t. Only in this case, the wall is the public schools system and the spaghetti that sticks is discontent about the sports programs. Whatever solutions may be available to resolve athletics issues, vouchers are likely not the best one. But I suspect Mr. Mero isn’t that interested in this tiny matter anyway: It’s the voucher referendum that matters.
Comment by Anonymous — August 24, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Thank you for the many comments. Just a couple of points…the UHSAA comments were part of an interview with Blair at KCPW. He asked me about global warming, vouchers, and UHSAA…none of which are or were connected (there is no voucher sports conspiracy!). Regarding reform of UHSAA, I offered three options. Of course, the third option, most innovative one, is what caught all of the attention — to separate competitive H.S. athletics from the budgets of the schools…to let the schools make money rather than spend money on high school athletics.
BTW, the average 5A high school in the Jordan District spends around $400K a year on their sports programs.
Under our “option 3,” schools would still have gym class and intramural sports (so all children would get exercise and “test” their physical abilities), but truly competitive sports (the kinds that lead to athletic scholarships) would be something different than what we have now.
Best to all, PTM
Comment by Paul Mero — August 28, 2007 @ 10:12 am