Monday, May 12, 2014

There are affordable approaches to keep sports

If we care.

See a report on a thoughtful proposal at



 
The problem however is a tunnel vision focus on quick results in tested areas (math, reading, biology) or Broad/Gates goals rather than a focus on the "whole child."  And, when results are not good, endless spin.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The clips on this that were broadcast, nationally, a few days ago from the fifth grade classroom in New York was even more impressive, since the students were not all white students. Black and brown students can do ANYTHING white students can do.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little confused as to just how the poster can turn this into a racial issue. I've read the article a couple of times now, and just don't see any type of commentary about race.
Questioner? Is there a reason you are allowing this type of insanity?

Questioner said...

Oops, meant to post a follow up question- maybe the comment was intended for a different thread on the blog?

Anonymous said...

It probably was meant to follow the
May 12, 2014 at 2:47 PM post an a different thread.

Many of us saw the same film clip in a New York classroom. It was a model for what can happen in classrooms where teachers challenge urban students to achieve at levels that few would expect. 100% of the students gave up lunch free time to continue the complex computer 'coding' lesson!

Call it insanity if you wish, but not before you see it. Seeing is believing!

Questioner said...

4:22 was not stating that it was insanity to believe that urban students could code, but rather having trouble relating the 3:03 comment to the sports-related link in THIS thread.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Signal : Noise reboot.....

Anonymous said...

There are parts of this plan that make sense. The issue of kids on a team getting PE credit was recently brought up at a board meeting. Good idea.

Any city/school district partnership or use of facilities should not cost the city. We can't afford it. If the district is the cause of taxes increasing again you might as well cut all sports since there are folks who will find a good real estate real quick. The corporate partnerships may work but like individuals corporations have a budget. We can't drink from the trough and not expect the trough to run dry. If you, a corporation, give to support athletics do you stop support to the Promise?

Anonymous said...

Is there any report showing how much class time for students and teachers is lost due to missing last periods of the day for travel or games?

Do the kids who are not on a team miss out on valuable teaching time when the teacher leaves early?

Mark Rauterkus said...

The move to the WPIAL schedules means that the games are played at night. In the past with city league games at 2:15, lots of classes were missed by players and coach/teacher.

Now, none, as games are at 6:30, for example with our swim team.

State Championships, different story. But that is not what you mean.

Night games are more of a problem with athlete attendance, devotion, transportation, busing, PAT, city-wide enrollment, officials, fan security. All above can be solved w effort.

Mark Rauterkus said...

The city can charge participants. Pool passes are sold to adults and kids. Add a new pass for athletes that costs $50 a summer and get the All City Sports Camps.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Mellon Park Tennis Bubble was a city success and new program due to user fees, not taxes.

Pools that are built need to be open. 2

Anonymous said...

I object to "new pass for athletes" idea unless the district pays for it. Sorry money should not be a barrier to participation for any individual in a sport sponsored by a public school.

Mark Rauterkus said...

These summer time sports camps are able to happen with coop in community settings and Citiparks and should be able to flourish with participant fees, sponsors, and some scholarships too.

Anonymous said...

"The move to the WPIAL" on its face was and continues to be a huge disaster and one that ultimately will turn more kids away from playing for a city school than vice versa. Yeah, there are small successes in what the general public considers to be 'fringe' sports, like swimming or perhaps a soccer team, but to see each baseball and softball team consistently get slaughtered is telling. Let's be reasonable: it would only be worse for football and most city teams would get pounded in hoops, as well.

I understand there is little recourse when you have slimmed down the number of high schools to a precious few, but this decision was simply a ridiculously poor one.

And let's add to this, shall we?

Look at what the "leadership" at city league sports has done to schools that have been left behind. In its infinite wisdom, the athletics department sent SOME schools into the WPIAL while leaving SOME schools behind to play with one or two other city teams.

What message was being sent to a swimmer at Carrick, or a softball player at Obama, or a baseball player at Perry? Hey kid, you're team is going to compete against the other two schools left behind. You're going to play 5 or 6 games this season.

You're joking, right?

The outrageously poor leadership in city interscholastic athletics should have resulted in the complete destruction of that office and its "leadership" in favor of rebuilding a better office. Clearly, this is a group of people who are clueless about the needs of the entire city, its families and children. This is a group of people whose decisions are not only shortsighted, but suspect in terms of favoritism.

And now you're going to tell me that we are going to rely on these same people for rational, logical decisions?

Let's talk about replacing literally everyone involved in city sports, and then we'll have real change.

Mark Rauterkus said...

For clarity, do you want to replace literally everyone in city sports including those few that, as you posted, ... Success in fringe sports like swimming?

Are we worried more about athletes and coaches / often a teacher, missing 2 or 3 periods about twice a week for 7 week stretches for city league games at 2:15 start times?

The WPIAL move fixes that age old problem .

Anonymous said...

Amen to 5:00 am. We need an "athletic director" overseeing the City League sports programs (grade school - high school) including intramurals , who has the know how to get grants, donations, fund raisers, etc. to supplement the athletic budget. Sports teach teamwork, integrates cultures, helps time management, provides mentors, keeps students "busy" doing something constructive, etc. to just name a few benefits.

Bellefield brings in "outsiders" for other areas, so why not advertise and bring in someone who can bring back our sports programs before they disappear like so many other things have. A school system without good solid sports programs (again grade school - high school) does not benefit the whole child.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Another article from the student newspaper about Whole Child & Whole Community by Lucy Newman, HS student at Obama Academy and varsity swimmer.

http://www.obamaeagle.org/top-stories/2014/05/20/the-debate-over-whole-child-whole-community-begins/

Mark Rauterkus said...

Mark Rauterkus, the head boys’ swim coach at Pittsburgh Obama, agrees with GPS Pittsburgh that it is important to teach children a variety of subjects. He presents a detailed plan for a possible alternative to the district’s idea to cut sports in PPS. In particular, he believes that in addition to the Whole Child report’s goal of literacy for all third graders, the district should make it a goal that all third graders are taught to swim. (See part 1 of series)