Thirteen Rapid City High School students and their parents want Rapid City taxpayers to give them at least $62,000 to fund the city's high school gymnastics program. That's $4769 per gymnast. You can read about it here.
I am sure gymnastics helps build character. However, the school board is faced with budget cuts. Teachers in Rapid City are among the lowest paid in the country.
This country is behind many others in terms of what our students learn before they enter college, if they enter college.
In this economy, cuts must take place, and the school board hasn't the intestinal fortitude to cut at the administrative level. So programs must be cut. I recommend cutting all extra-curricular sports. All of them.
If you are a parent and you want your child to be the next great college quarterback, YOU pay for it. Take a lesson from Rapid City's Little League program, organize and fund your child's sport yourself. Leave reading, writing, math, science, social studies and trade education to the taxpayer.
Note to artists, theater and music people: The city's education system is broke. We cannot afford to spend millions on administration and new buildings and fund your programs too. So buck it up and fund your own high school orchestra. Band and orchestra teachers: start your own f0r-profit school. If people really want their kids to learn the French horn, they'll pay you to teach them.
We have just opened bids on a new addition to the state's largest school, (which will be built in the flood plain) when school board members know a third high school is long past due. We elected these people and we're getting what we deserve.
Did I mention we are broke? Our largess is no longer sustainable. Life's not fair. Deal with it.
6 comments:
SD has plenty of money for education, but too much of it goes to wasteful spending. Taxpayers should not be paying for "playtime". School is for scholarly activities. Period. All extracurricular activities should be in private clubs - without taxpayer support and without a state taxpayer agency to manage it. What's next gymnastics, ice hockey, curling (just wait).
Additionally millions attended schools with the benefit of superintendents, vice superintendents, principals, vice principals, counselors, nurses, resource officers, head janitors and janitorial staffs, etc. When the numbers and payroll of the "supporters" exceed that of the teachers the system is critically out of balance and serves the wrong ends.
Additionally millions attended schools withOUT the benefit of superintendents, vice superintendents, principals, vice principals, counselors, nurses, resource officers, head janitors and janitorial staffs, etc. When the numbers and payroll of the "supporters" exceed that of the teachers the system is critically out of balance and serves the wrong ends.
That's how they do it in Europe, with club sports. Michael, I might be with you... if we can keep interscholastic debate as a scholarly activity. Deal?
(If it helps, I can make the substantive case the high school debate meets as many state curriculum standards as any given class. I can also make the case that students get more practical speech experience in one debate weekend debate tournament than they do in an entire semester of classroom speech.)
I'm for cutting all extra curricular activities. Gym class too. We should invest in really good teachers.
caheidelberger:
I believe debate should be required as part of a complete social studies curriculum for a number of reasons:
1. Understanding Roberts Rules is crucial to understanding how our legislative bodies do business.
2. Successful debate skills are crucial to all negotiations students will face in their future careers.
Pro sports in general could fund this whole thing. If the high paid athletes would chip in a few bucks each, the problem would be solved.
Post a Comment