Disturbing trend starting to happen in softball

[1prouddad]

My kids get opportunities to attend Science Night live events for extra credit. They learn a little bit by putting in a little time outside of school and get just enough extra credit to maybe push a B+ to an A-. If that's buying grades because not everyone can afford to bring their kids to those events, then I guess I'm guilty as charged.

I don't consider that as buying grades. You're attending an event and in the process, you're also learning. I don't have any problem with people doing things to earn extra credit and bring grades up. I would have a problem if somebody said, "Hey, give me $50 and I'll make sure your kid has an A on his/her report card".

[sbfanatic]

Sftbll4ever

sbfanatic wrote:
Well at least you are not in a school district that is now charging students $100 to $300 athletic fees for each sport. Some schools are considering eliminating high school sports due to budget cuts.

That's it!!!! Just 100 to 300??? Try over 1k for volleyball, 400 for soccer and over 500 for softball.

Does your High School charge for sports? Our does not, except for the heavy property taxes I pay and some fundraisers, I guess we pay for it one way or another.

[DunninLA]

My kids get opportunities to attend Science Night live events for extra credit. They learn a little bit by putting in a little time outside of school and get just enough extra credit to maybe push a B+ to an A-. If that's buying grades because not everyone can afford to bring their kids to those events, then I guess I'm guilty as charged.

I don't consider that as buying grades. You're attending an event and in the process, you're also learning. I don't have any problem with people doing things to earn extra credit and bring grades up. I would have a problem if somebody said, "Hey, give me $50 and I'll make sure your kid has an A on his/her report card".

right, not exactly buying grades. Nonetheless, if you are a student who works most afternoons to help support the family, and whose parents think attending Science Night is a luxury they cannot affor, you can see how that student would see it as the rich kids getting the A- whereas the poor kid getting a B+.

In reality I agree it is not "buying grades", it is simply gaining access to opportunities many cannot afford.

And I agree with a poster from another college softball board -- LMU dad -- who posted a couple of days ago on another subject that "life is not fair -- I taught my kids early that unfair things are common and to move on" (paraphrasing).

[1prouddad]

My kids get opportunities to attend Science Night live events for extra credit. They learn a little bit by putting in a little time outside of school and get just enough extra credit to maybe push a B+ to an A-. If that's buying grades because not everyone can afford to bring their kids to those events, then I guess I'm guilty as charged.

I don't consider that as buying grades. You're attending an event and in the process, you're also learning. I don't have any problem with people doing things to earn extra credit and bring grades up. I would have a problem if somebody said, "Hey, give me $50 and I'll make sure your kid has an A on his/her report card".

right, not exactly buying grades. Nonetheless, if you are a student who works most afternoons to help support the family, and whose parents think attending Science Night is a luxury they cannot affor, you can see how that student would see it as the rich kids getting the A- whereas the poor kid getting a B+.

In reality I agree it is not "buying grades", it is simply gaining access to opportunities many cannot afford.

And I agree with a poster from another college softball board -- LMU dad -- who posted a couple of days ago on another subject that "life is not fair -- I taught my kids early that unfair things are common and to move on" (paraphrasing).

I agree with you 100% on that! Even in the 1st post, I agreed that money does buy advantages not available to those on limited budgets, which brings us to the "Life is not always fair" statement. My original point was that paying for something that you did not earn isn't worth a whole lot and it's nothing I would want - On the other hand, if you pay for something (tutoring, pitching lessons, etc.) and you put the time in to benefit from it, then you have in fact earned it (as in your daughters case with the tutoring).

[larry111]

I appreciate everyone's comments good and bad.
This is the trend I see happening:
school promises extra credit to entire school to attend drama club play called zombie prom.
Students show up for their extra credit and realize they have to pay 5 dollars to get in so they can receive their extra credit. Grade for sale. This not a science fair or anything of educational value other than someone who might pursue a career in the entertainment industry. What are the odds of any student who attended the event will be remotely be interested in that. They were attending for the promise of extra credit being added to their grade. Everyone from Drama club was in the play. Grades for sale. School athletic club wants all the students to by cleats through them at 56 dollars a pair. Well the same pair of cleats is 30 dollars on eBay or academy or just about any other sporting goods store. School knows that so make the promise to the kids that they will not have to to take the exam for athletics if they will buy the shoes from the school. Students have a funny look on their face because they have never heard of an exam for athletics. Curious about this exam the students ask what the exam will be on. Coach replies "Running the bleachers". So the athletes do not want to run bleachers so they come home and tell their parents that they have to buy the cleats the school offers so they will not have to run the bleachers. Grades for sale. How do you grade running the bleachers anyways? School sponsors extra curricular activities, and they are not required courses to pass. The school requires that students pass a random drug test. The school receives money through U.I.L.(University Interscholastic League) to test for steroids use. The drug testing of students for steroids use has been funded year after year. The school chooses to test for other drugs which are not covered under the U.I.L. program. So because the school chooses to test for other drugs, the drug test is not covered. In all the time that schools have been testing for other drugs other than steroids they have never found one dirty drug test. There has only been 3 cases of students caught using steroids. So why should it be the responsibility of the parents to pay for the schools required random drug test, which U.I. L. only requires testing for the use of steroids to participate in sports activities and the U.I.L. pays the schools to do. This is what I mean by grades for sale. Our students are being taught a bad lesson here. I wonder how long it will be until we are told that it is educational for our kids if we will just fund this event or that one and our kids can skip learning and just get a High School Diploma. I just want to add one more thing here, if you think the schools are having a hard time because of the economy you need to look around at these multi-million dollar schools going up everywhere. Football stadiums being built like NFL style stadiums. The department of education in this country gets 1/3 of the US budget. That is almost 1 trillion dollars a year. The teachers are not seeing that money but someone is. Think about that.

[Lori]

Larry......please quit crying...please!!

It is called politics..get used to it, keep your mouth shut, and let your kid enjoy her high school years.....please!

If you don't like the politics, home school her and keep your mouth shut!


If you don't want to pay for cleats, then don't...and keep your mouth shut!

If you don't want to pay for drug testing, then don't...and keep your mouth shut!

Did you ever, for even one second, think that maybe there has only been 3 positive steroids tests...maybe because your school is more strict than the "state minimum".....you should be happy about that...I would be...any parent who really truly cares about their child and their school system should!!

[Joe]

Larry......please quit crying...please!!

It is called politics..get used to it, keep your mouth shut, and let your kid enjoy her high school years.....please!

If you don't like the politics, home school her and keep your mouth shut!


If you don't want to pay for cleats, then don't...and keep your mouth shut!

If you don't want to pay for drug testing, then don't...and keep your mouth shut!

Did you ever, for even one second, think that maybe there has only been 3 positive steroids tests...maybe because your school is more strict than the "state minimum".....you should be happy about that...I would be...any parent who really truly cares about their child and their school system should!!

Larry

Lori's half right. Stop crying? Yes...

...but don't keep your mouth shut. If you want something changed, open it wide and often...and get others to do the same.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Larry ... I feel your pain and felt similar thoughts back when this crapola reared its ugly head in VA a decade ago ... In hindsight, I see that it encouraged my gals to go to a school play for 5 extra credit points ... and maybe encouraged some thesbians to come to a softball game for those 5 points ... and in the long run, it probably made each better citizens ... perhaps they met a person that they never would have met otherwise ... and isn't that more important than the difference between an A+ & and A- ...

[Soft Ball Mom 98]

Lori,

I think you just like to bad mouth everyone on here.. If you don't like them then you just blah blah blah.

If we continue to let the same things happen they will continue to happen, we want better things for our kids not all the crap and corruption of politics.... thats why we have a vote and say about what happens here. Yes there is a lot of politics involved in schools but there shouldn't be.

If you don't make the grades and pass the steroid test then you should not get to play. Asking a kid to do a Random drug test should be paid for by the school

There are kids out there that think because mommy and daddy have money they should get to do what they want!!!! what is that teaching them? Nothing except (I should get what I want)
What is going to happen when they get in the real world and they can't make that kind of money? They are going to be crying! ! so teach them responsibility and what is RIGHT and WRONG so they wont be crying, if we teach them these things they will be better in society not a burden.

Most of you on here are a bunch of cryers So Lori why dont you Shut up and really listen to what is being said instead of always makeing fun of others!! What are you teaching others!

Lori he didn't say he wasn't proud that they only had 3 he's saying there isn't a major problem why test for the drugs????

I hope that you will grow up and stop bashing others! I doubt that will happen you seem to be a bully I hope your kids are better people than you..

this is about others expressing there opinons not a place to bash the same person time and time again.

I hope you get a better attitudefor Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Softball Parents

[knucklecurve]

I think that is a great idea that Lori does need to keep her mouth shut, because all I ever hear her doing is bad mouthing people!