Comments on: Activity funding: bad to worse http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/ The best of Minnesota high school sports Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:39:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: David Shepard http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4219 David Shepard Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:59:00 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4219 Congratulations to the SSP Board of Education and Superintendent for making a difficult decision to get ahead of a looming budget problem. The Activities Director blaming the legislature is not the problem; it is the never ending list of "wants". Our state's schools will have to prioritize and purchase the "wants" they can afford with the money that is allocated to them by the state and local taxpayers. SSP’s Activity Director position must have fallen below, or off the list of necessary items to run the schools. Tough decision? Yes, End of the World? No. Congratulations to the SSP Board of Education and Superintendent for making a difficult decision to get ahead of a looming budget problem. The Activities Director blaming the legislature is not the problem; it is the never ending list of “wants”. Our state’s schools will have to prioritize and purchase the “wants” they can afford with the money that is allocated to them by the state and local taxpayers. SSP’s Activity Director position must have fallen below, or off the list of necessary items to run the schools. Tough decision? Yes, End of the World? No.

]]> By: spicebear http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4218 spicebear Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:31:35 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4218 sblake, PE majors would be included under # 5, education. My big worry is that so many are majoring in soft studies and the decline in engineering. There is no shortage of people in bus admin, & psych & ed. I am glad to see that biology & nursing are moving up. sblake, PE majors would be included under # 5, education. My big worry is that so many are majoring in soft studies and the decline in engineering. There is no shortage of people in bus admin, & psych & ed. I am glad to see that biology & nursing are moving up.

]]> By: Vivaboy http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4217 Vivaboy Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:14:52 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4217 Athletics and activities deserve more credit for the life lessons, values, and character development that they provide students. I know my local high school's athletics and activities budget represents about 2% of the district expenditures. Even cutting entirely doesn't represent a substancial savings, especially when considering what is lost by doing so. Athletics and activities deserve more credit for the life lessons, values, and character development that they provide students. I know my local high school’s athletics and activities budget represents about 2% of the district expenditures. Even cutting entirely doesn’t represent a substancial savings, especially when considering what is lost by doing so.

]]> By: sblake http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4216 sblake Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:21:58 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4216 I did a quick Google search for "most popular college majors" and about two minutes of reading at several of the sites confirms that Physical Education isn't a top ten college major according to anyone. The Princeton Review says the top 10 majors are: 1. Business Administration and Management/Commerce 2. Psychology 3. Nursing 4. Biology/Biological Sciences 5. Education 6. English Language and Literature 7. Economics 8. Communications Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric 9. Political Science and Government 10. Computer and Information Sciences Eric -- use facts please, not your personal biases and gut feelings. I did a quick Google search for “most popular college majors” and about two minutes of reading at several of the sites confirms that Physical Education isn’t a top ten college major according to anyone. The Princeton Review says the top 10 majors are:
1. Business Administration and Management/Commerce
2. Psychology
3. Nursing
4. Biology/Biological Sciences
5. Education
6. English Language and Literature
7. Economics
8. Communications Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
9. Political Science and Government
10. Computer and Information Sciences
Eric — use facts please, not your personal biases and gut feelings.

]]> By: Mike Morrissey http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4215 Mike Morrissey Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:30:02 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4215 The hot shot legislators can build stadiums for the million dollar owners but can not fund education in this state. This is a sad state of affairs we are in The hot shot legislators can build stadiums for the million dollar owners but can not fund education in this state.
This is a sad state of affairs we are in

]]> By: Cheryl http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4214 Cheryl Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:52:21 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4214 What is more important in educating and employing future graduates - athletic activities or math/science? As a parent, I'd prefer to cut activities completely and fund education. Schools are no longer teaching reading, writing and mathematics to compete in the 21st century workplace. What is more important in educating and employing future graduates - athletic activities or math/science? As a parent, I’d prefer to cut activities completely and fund education. Schools are no longer teaching reading, writing and mathematics to compete in the 21st century workplace.

]]> By: Eric http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4213 Eric Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:23:06 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4213 While I can sympathize with anyone who loses their job--today must be very sad and difficult for this man--I must say that funding for school athletics is out of control. High schools are putting in artificial turf that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and next to nothing for science labs. We wonder why the most popular college major in the US is physical education, while China is turning out engineers by the thousands. Our youth will go where the money is, and too much of it has been spent on public high school sports. While I can sympathize with anyone who loses their job–today must be very sad and difficult for this man–I must say that funding for school athletics is out of control. High schools are putting in artificial turf that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and next to nothing for science labs. We wonder why the most popular college major in the US is physical education, while China is turning out engineers by the thousands. Our youth will go where the money is, and too much of it has been spent on public high school sports.

]]> By: double-a http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4211 double-a Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:58:31 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4211 Thank you T-Paw for shifting the burden for school funding. I empathize with the district, after all it is best to anticipate and act proactively. But it has been proven time and again that extracurricular activities are a positive influence for the vast majority of students who participate. Thank you T-Paw for shifting the burden for school funding. I empathize with the district, after all it is best to anticipate and act proactively. But it has been proven time and again that extracurricular activities are a positive influence for the vast majority of students who participate.

]]> By: Chase http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4210 Chase Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:10:03 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4210 Why don't the schools ever talk about the real problem with school funding. They don't have a money problem, they have a employee benefits problem. If they would give the same benefits as private business they would be swimming in money. Why don’t the schools ever talk about the real problem with school funding.

They don’t have a money problem, they have a employee benefits problem.

If they would give the same benefits as private business they would be swimming in money.

]]> By: Blair Reynolds http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4209 Blair Reynolds Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:30:20 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/preps/2008/06/27/activity-funding-bad-to-worse/#comment-4209 As a SSP resident I am very surprised by this. Rich did a good job with the resources he had. While the decisions our school board and administrators have to make are tough sometimes, the removal of an AD is comparable to cutting a principal. It affects almost as many students. I hope for the sake of the board this wasn't just a money decision, because if it was, it was a short-sided move and one made out of haste. This isn't the first time the board has done something like this. My guess is that they have someone in mind for this job and will suddenly "find" the money for this job, when the air clears. They made a sweetheart deal with a big name coach a few years back and I wouldn't be surprised if they do it again. It's pitiful that a good guy like Rich is the victim of a poor board. As a SSP resident I am very surprised by this. Rich did a good job with the resources he had. While the decisions our school board and administrators have to make are tough sometimes, the removal of an AD is comparable to cutting a principal. It affects almost as many students. I hope for the sake of the board this wasn’t just a money decision, because if it was, it was a short-sided move and one made out of haste. This isn’t the first time the board has done something like this. My guess is that they have someone in mind for this job and will suddenly “find” the money for this job, when the air clears. They made a sweetheart deal with a big name coach a few years back and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it again. It’s pitiful that a good guy like Rich is the victim of a poor board.

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