From: iris@execu.execu.com (Iris Strey)
Newsgroups: austin.talk
Subject: Re: Sunday's Austin A-S Sports Page
Date: 11 Jan 93 20:52:47 GMT
Distribution: austin
Organization: Comshare, Inc. Austin Development Center

>    .
>Actually, there was an interesting comment made in the article that
>has some validity.  One of the coaches was quoted as saying that by
>the time the athletes get to the point of taking the SAT, it's too
>late to teach basics.  The basics should've been learned in
>elementary school, not the jr. and sr. years of high school.  He
>said that maybe we should be paying the elementary school teachers
>the most.  Interesting thought.
>
>Paul Conditt		Internet: conditt@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu
>Applied Research  Phone:(512) 835-3086   FAX: (512) 835-3416/3259
>Laboratories	Fedex:	  10000 Burnet Road, Austin, Texas 78758-4423

I'm for paying teachers more -- but all the $$$ in the world may
not give John Maher 100% eligibility of the blue chip football 
players.  And what if that extra money for those early teachers
has to come from current h.s. sports budgets?

I think the "early grade" comment is part of the rationale behind
ending the no-pass-no-play rule.  The coach wants to put blame
somewhere for what he has decided is an unfortunate predicament.

When our family had our own "sweating bullets" six weeks because 
our son blew an algebra test early in the six weeks (during
baseball season!!), we didn't blame the RULE for his predicament;
we didn't blame his early elementary teachers nor his current
teacher; we reiterated what he already knew ----- that is,

      You're playing baseball for your school as an extra
      curricular activity.  To earn that privilege you have
      to pass all your classes.  Tax payers are paying for you
      to have the privilege of getting educated.  If you can't
      pull your grade up to passing by the end of this period
      you will not be part of the baseball team for 6 weeks. 
     
The same coach says that the SAT test is biased.  Coach, a 700 on
the SAT is quite a liberal allowance for schools that require their
non-athletic students to score 1000 to 1200!  And every time some-
one argues about cultural bias (is football a culture?) I think of
the children of the Vietnamese boat people.  Many of those kids
have soared to the top of their classes and made wonderful SAT
scores even though they often live with parents who speak very
little English and know very little about the American "culture".

I am hoping that, instead of pushing for the end of the no-pass-no-
play rule and for the end of Proposition 48, this sports writer
and this football coach will push for some kind of farm system
where football players who do not chose to go to college can go --
much like baseball players.  The no-pass-no-play rule has worked
because it has reminded all of us of the original reason we have
and need public education.  And it HAS caused kids to buckle down
& study!  The Proposition 48 has also sent a signal (not very strong,
but a signal nontheless) that colleges are for higher learning and
should not compromise their standards for the sake of sports.

Iris

These are only my opinions!
Iris Strey			               Comshare Inc., Austin, TX
                                               9600 Great Hills Trail
Product Development/Environment Support Mgr.   Austin, TX  78759  
iris@execu.com 
Newsgroups: austin.talk,tx.general