There are no "Friday Night Lights" at Grove City, OH. All extra curricular activities have been cut including sports, cheerleading, band, drama, and student council. Since the city voted No on the levy, the district had to further nip the expenses from the 18 million already being cut. The board decided to cut extra curricular and bussing after they already cutting 12% of staff. Check out the debates of the levy.
This we already know can affect the town, the article discusses families, athletes, coaches, and teachers choosing or being forced to leave. Along with this, Grove City will have a hard time attracting new arrivals of families. The discussion could go in this direction as well as the debate of weather I think the levy should pass or the heated debacles that are taking place throughout the town. However, the direction I would like to go with this blog is the impact that the cutting of extra curricular activities will have on the students.
Students need these extra curricular activities. Aside from learning hard work and teamwork, football offers many things. Players can learn how to work with another person through adversity and other than ideal conditions. Along with this they can learn how to put the group's interest above their own. They can learn how to handle themselves when faced with adversity, failure, success, and being outmatched. Another thing they can learn is accountability; now their actions do not only affect themselves.
If students can learn this and much more from football alone, what else are these students missing out on? I understand that sports can get too much attention at times and that athletes miss a lot of school, but there are undeniable learning that comes from these activities. School is not just about math and reading. Much like college, school has a lot to do with experiences, exposure, and memories. We need to work hard that these privileges are available to our students.
We must also remember that extra curricular activities can be the candy. Sometimes these are the motivators that get that at-risk student to school. Have you been involved in drama, student counsel, or band as a teacher or coach? What things can they learn here that they can not anywhere else?
If the financial crisis does not turn around, this debate will be a hot topic that needs to be looked into. Extra curriculars has too much bang for it's buck to just be cut!
What do you think?
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Phillip,
ReplyDeleteWow! What a change! I wouldn't doubt that towns or cities that think it's a good fiscal decision to cut such programs from their schools also agree it's a good fiscal decision to see hoards of families move away and/or never move into their community again. Can you say ghost town?
What about the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars it will cost students who won't get those much needed college scholarships to perform in band, cheer, or football? Those kids are left out to hang now, too. Anyone who knows anything about sports and extra-curricular activities at schools knows that it takes much smarter, well driven students to complete the rigorous academic requirments while competing and learning other skills. Who's going to give the full ride scholarship to the talented individuals who don't actually have the platform to perform anymore? Nobody.
What an atrocity it is for the city to not come up with a solution to keep those programs. They will surely, without a common sense doubt, lose out on more money long-term than they think they're saving short-term.
I would never, in a million years, raise a family in a city that chooses to cut all programs.
Have a good week.
Randy B.
I completely agree that students need after school activities. After school activies go beyond what students learn in the classroom and help students find their interest. For instance if there were no Technology Student Association at my school I would have never been a technology teacher. Sports are outlets for students. Students not only learn how to be part of a team, but they learn life skills that stick with them. Cutting all after school activities was a mistake and alternative means for funding these programs could have been found. Much of our athletic and club money comes from donations. It is sad to think that students will miss out on opprotunities to grow.
ReplyDeleteGood Article,
Blaire
That is awful this has happened. I wish that people would really step back and look at what they are doing. You cannot, and I do mean CANNOT cut education back for any reasons. Yet in a recession, it does not matter to the law makers. Our budgets were never enough in the first place and then they create these drastic cuts that affect such massive programs such as sports and music. This kills school spirit and student morale. The sad thing is, there is no remorse. "I'm sorry" does not work for these situations. There need to be people in office that are willing to stand up at the cost of their seats next election and say no to cutting education. However, we know how important the almighty dollar and power mean to some of these backward people.
ReplyDeleteI coached football for 13 years and wrestling for 20 years. I have also been an advisor for DECA (An Association of Marketing Students). I am appalled that any school actually eliminated extra-curricular activities. I understand that there is cost involved, as well as students and teachers missing class. However, the benefits of these activities far outweighs the costs. These activities not only bring the students together in a united front, it often brings the entire town together in support of our students. Students learn the benefit of hard work, teamwork, working through adversity, discipline, the importance of never giving up, and the list goes on and on. Every year there is a group of students who stay in school because of the extra-curricular activities they enjoy. If that is the motivation that keeps them in school and working hard to pass, how can that be bad?
ReplyDeleteIf that happened in Moorhead, I think that the parents would have a fit, especially if hockey was cut.
ReplyDeleteWe are voting on a levy on Nov. 3rd for the second time in 10 years. Our schools took a hit and had to cut more than 40 staff. We no longer offer cheerleading as an extra curriculuar activity and our arts programs have also taken a hit. The first levy was so they could build a new elementary school, a new middle school, and remodel the high school, the junior high and the 5th/6th grade school into elementary schools. They sold two elementary schools, tore down one, and converted another into the district offices. With that levy, they made promises of smaller class sizes, new equipement, new curriculum. Of those things, I have not seen a significant change. My daughters first grade class has 25 kids, my sons fifth grade class has 30 kids. As of new curriculum, my sons social studies book is at least 15 years old. Our property taxes went up more than they said it would. Many people were outraged by that. This vote is very important to our children, but I don't think that it will pass because of the lack of follow throughs with the last levy.
I am worried that the next thing that will go is some of the extra curricular things (dance line, speech/debate, drama). Sports will be the very last thing becuase of the parents will be outraged of that.
You make some great points and valid arguments for keeping extra curriculars. In addition to those, I would imagine that school climate and student (and obviously teacher) morale has sunk to an all-new low. Not only will it prove to be difficult if not impossible to attract potential students but likewise to replace retiring or resigning teachers.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how long this decision remains in effect. While it is not possible to pull money out of thin air, I can only guess what kind of reception the superintendent and school board members are getting from their constituents.
Extra curricular activities have time-and-time-again motivated some of my students to do well, if for no other reason, eligibilities sake. And to me, that counts! The life lessons that these kiddos pick up in those activities and the dedication and ommitment that they mandate, the better we have served them and prepared them for the real world!