kepdawg
05-16-2006, 06:21 PM
Failing fans may not have spot in stands
DeSoto spectators, like athletes, may be barred from events for grades
03:42 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
In Texas, it's a rite of passage for teenage students to attend high school football games.
In the DeSoto school district, however, students may soon have to pass class just for the right to attend the games.
To bolster academics, officials are discussing a proposal that would keep any student who fails any classes from attending extracurricular events – from band concerts to football games. The "no-pass, no-attend" proposal would transcend no-pass, no-play, the state rule prohibiting a student who fails a class from participating in extracurricular activities.
Although they were concerned some students might cause trouble if banned from school events, DeSoto school board members generally seemed to favor the proposal during a recent meeting.
"The majority of parents I come into contact with want and expect success from their child," board president Janice Pettis Ingram said. "It needs to be worked on some more, but ... let's give them some guidance."
Superintendent Alton Frailey said the suggestion is in the "thinking out loud" stage. He said he would gauge staff and community feedback before recommending the policy for 2006-07.
"The idea came up at a cabinet meeting," Mr. Frailey said. "We have good kids who only pass during their [athletic] season, then they slack off. We thought, 'What if we made them work to come to the games as well?' "
First of its kind?
Officials with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Association of School Boards and the National Association of School Boards said they had never heard of such a proposal. The national and local experts, however, seemed divided over the idea's merits.
"It's a novelty," said Tom Hutton, staff attorney for the National Association of School Boards. "It would seem to me that this would be an administrative nightmare."
Mr. Frailey, however, said the district could easily handle the situation with electronic identification cards, which would carry academic information.
Preliminary discussion centers on enforcing the proposed policy in grades five through 12 or seven through 12.
The superintendent said that during recent community meetings, a majority of parents said they felt students had little or no academic ambition. Those parents said students generally don't exhibit strong personal discipline.
Students opposed
Most youngsters, however, did exhibit strong opposition to the proposal when asked about it.
"Just because a student doesn't make grades doesn't mean they can't cheer on their team," said DeSoto High ninth-grader Brittany Jackson. "That's crazy."
A sampling of DeSoto parents seemed split on the issue.
"My first concern is that if there's a single parent out there with two or three kids, is there some leeway for them?" said Pam Glover, a parent and president of DeSoto East Junior High School PTA. "They couldn't all attend the event. It's almost like encouraging parents to leave children at home. I think they'd have to work some things out before this becomes policy."
But parent Sandra Blair embraced the concept. She said if her daughter isn't passing she shouldn't be attending events.
"She has to pay the price," Ms. Blair said.
Mike Tiegs, president of the Amber Terrace Intermediate School PTA in DeSoto, supports the idea.
"There have to be consequences," said Mr. Tiegs, who also is a youth baseball coach and enforces no-pass, no-play on his team. "Kids need to get things done in the classroom first."
Shari Dooley Smith, president of the DeSoto Council of PTAs, said if the policy were fair and equitable, she would support it.
"I think you have to have some kind of intervention at a lower level and earlier. You shouldn't have students come to the end of the year and not know they are failing," said Ms. Smith, a former Duncanville teacher.
The "no pass, no attend" idea comes just months after school district officials in nearby Lancaster instituted mandatory homework assignments for students during winter break. Lancaster officials said the move was to help boost district academic scores.
Struggle to motivate
Mr. Hutton said school districts nationally are struggling with meeting educational challenges in the face of budget cuts. Public education has become "highly politicized and scrutinized," he said.
"Everyone is struggling with how to motivate kids," Mr. Hutton said. "Reasonable minds debate on which issues may be overreaching, but the amount of pressure on these institutions is tremendous."
Mr. Hutton questioned the legality of the DeSoto proposal, but Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards, doesn't see anything illegal about the policy as long as students who fail a class aren't identified publicly.
"It might be difficult to enforce, but if education is a reasonable basis upon which to allow participation – and viewing – then it sounds OK legally," she said.
She said federal and state case law supports school districts' contention that participation and attending extracurricular activities are privileges.
DeSoto High senior Devin Sims understands what the district is trying to do but says the policy would go too far.
"You can't deprive a kid of attending an event," he said.
E-mail hbooth@dallasnews.com.
DeSoto spectators, like athletes, may be barred from events for grades
03:42 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
In Texas, it's a rite of passage for teenage students to attend high school football games.
In the DeSoto school district, however, students may soon have to pass class just for the right to attend the games.
To bolster academics, officials are discussing a proposal that would keep any student who fails any classes from attending extracurricular events – from band concerts to football games. The "no-pass, no-attend" proposal would transcend no-pass, no-play, the state rule prohibiting a student who fails a class from participating in extracurricular activities.
Although they were concerned some students might cause trouble if banned from school events, DeSoto school board members generally seemed to favor the proposal during a recent meeting.
"The majority of parents I come into contact with want and expect success from their child," board president Janice Pettis Ingram said. "It needs to be worked on some more, but ... let's give them some guidance."
Superintendent Alton Frailey said the suggestion is in the "thinking out loud" stage. He said he would gauge staff and community feedback before recommending the policy for 2006-07.
"The idea came up at a cabinet meeting," Mr. Frailey said. "We have good kids who only pass during their [athletic] season, then they slack off. We thought, 'What if we made them work to come to the games as well?' "
First of its kind?
Officials with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Association of School Boards and the National Association of School Boards said they had never heard of such a proposal. The national and local experts, however, seemed divided over the idea's merits.
"It's a novelty," said Tom Hutton, staff attorney for the National Association of School Boards. "It would seem to me that this would be an administrative nightmare."
Mr. Frailey, however, said the district could easily handle the situation with electronic identification cards, which would carry academic information.
Preliminary discussion centers on enforcing the proposed policy in grades five through 12 or seven through 12.
The superintendent said that during recent community meetings, a majority of parents said they felt students had little or no academic ambition. Those parents said students generally don't exhibit strong personal discipline.
Students opposed
Most youngsters, however, did exhibit strong opposition to the proposal when asked about it.
"Just because a student doesn't make grades doesn't mean they can't cheer on their team," said DeSoto High ninth-grader Brittany Jackson. "That's crazy."
A sampling of DeSoto parents seemed split on the issue.
"My first concern is that if there's a single parent out there with two or three kids, is there some leeway for them?" said Pam Glover, a parent and president of DeSoto East Junior High School PTA. "They couldn't all attend the event. It's almost like encouraging parents to leave children at home. I think they'd have to work some things out before this becomes policy."
But parent Sandra Blair embraced the concept. She said if her daughter isn't passing she shouldn't be attending events.
"She has to pay the price," Ms. Blair said.
Mike Tiegs, president of the Amber Terrace Intermediate School PTA in DeSoto, supports the idea.
"There have to be consequences," said Mr. Tiegs, who also is a youth baseball coach and enforces no-pass, no-play on his team. "Kids need to get things done in the classroom first."
Shari Dooley Smith, president of the DeSoto Council of PTAs, said if the policy were fair and equitable, she would support it.
"I think you have to have some kind of intervention at a lower level and earlier. You shouldn't have students come to the end of the year and not know they are failing," said Ms. Smith, a former Duncanville teacher.
The "no pass, no attend" idea comes just months after school district officials in nearby Lancaster instituted mandatory homework assignments for students during winter break. Lancaster officials said the move was to help boost district academic scores.
Struggle to motivate
Mr. Hutton said school districts nationally are struggling with meeting educational challenges in the face of budget cuts. Public education has become "highly politicized and scrutinized," he said.
"Everyone is struggling with how to motivate kids," Mr. Hutton said. "Reasonable minds debate on which issues may be overreaching, but the amount of pressure on these institutions is tremendous."
Mr. Hutton questioned the legality of the DeSoto proposal, but Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards, doesn't see anything illegal about the policy as long as students who fail a class aren't identified publicly.
"It might be difficult to enforce, but if education is a reasonable basis upon which to allow participation – and viewing – then it sounds OK legally," she said.
She said federal and state case law supports school districts' contention that participation and attending extracurricular activities are privileges.
DeSoto High senior Devin Sims understands what the district is trying to do but says the policy would go too far.
"You can't deprive a kid of attending an event," he said.
E-mail hbooth@dallasnews.com.