Cheatham Co. Schools Shut Down Athletics

[robjim]

Article from Wednesday's Tennessean

[BDURHAM]

This situation is not unique to Cheatham County. It is very similar to what happened in Chattanooga this summer. Didn't the same thing happen a couple of years ago in Clarksville?

[ELA]

Wow Joe Namath:

 

You think George Bush is responsible for Cheatham County's unwillingness to fund public education?  Wow!  It sure seems like if that were the case, there would be a lot less football being played in a lot more counties across the nation.  Last time I checked, this situation is unique to Cheatham County alone, at least in this state.  But hey, what do I know.

 

With reasoning like that, I can see why you are so proud to be part of an educational system with such great leadership in the central office.

 

by the way, great superbowl versus the colts

825341831[/snapback]

 

No... this is true (at least in part) due to NCLB and it will get worse. Hamilton County went through this same battle this summer and had to trim 21 million dollars from their budget. Clarksville has had this problem for two years in a row! Other school districts are facing huge budget problems. The only thing unique about the Cheatham County budget battle is that it happened so late. Most of these things are done in the early part of summer! NCLB will have a huge impact on schools all across the nation. There are lawsuits in at least 9 states over the law and it's affect on public education. Some lawsuits are against school districts, others are being brought to try to overhaul the 2002 law. This did not start in Cheatham Co and it will not end there!

[WrittenWord]

I have a question: You guys who say that NCLB is the reason for financial crisis in schools... Can you tell me how NCLB has cost the schools additional monies?

 

As for "voting out Bush" because of NCLB, let's not forget that NCLB was actually a brainchild of the Democrats. The Bush administration took it and ran with it, but NCLB would have become reality with or without a Republican administration in the White House.

 

Now I've seen plenty of griping and moaning over the past 10 pages of posts about cutting athletics. People say the board doesn't care about the kids, they're stabbing their own children who are coaches in the back, etc. etc. etc. No one knows the board members. You don't know what they're going through. It's probably a safe bet that there's a lot of hand-wrangling going on behind the scenes and a lot of sleepless nights as these board members try to figure out a way to pull themselves out of the budget crisis without cutting necessary services.

 

But the parents and fans don't care about that. All they care about are hearing the words "sports" and "cuts" in the same sentence. And then everyone throws a fit. The fact is that the board has to find some way to cut $1.3 million. I don't know what Cheatham County's budget is like, but I have seen plenty of budgets from school districts around this state and I can tell you that all the cuts won't come from the same area. If they can save only $30,000 from cutting out coaches' salaries, then that's $30,000 that they can subtract from the original $1.3 million.

 

No one wants to see sports cut, but ask yourself this: What CAN be cut? The fact is that something MUST be cut. And while I wouldn't try to say for a minute that sports aren't important, because they certainly are, can you tell me anything else within the school system that is less important that can be cut?

 

If it comes down to sports or transportation, which you going to cut? If it comes down to sports or the meals program, which you going to cut? If it comes down to sports or teachers, and sticking 35-40 kids in a classroom, which you going to cut?

 

Sports aren't THAT important, my friends. Everyone complains because sports are always the first to get mentioned in a budget shortfall. There's an obvious reason for that, and no it's not because they're making sports a scapegoat or trying to stir emotions. Sports are extra-curricular activities. Period. They play a very important role, as do other extra-curricular activities, but they aren't that important. When you start having a problem paying the bills, you cut the extra-curricular activities first, while maintaining the level of the quality of education for the kids.

 

Many of you would have the quality of education go down the drain just to avoid having the football program cut for a couple years. You better wake up and smell the roses. Our kids' education is far more important than sports. And if the spelling of a couple of these posts are any indication, that education is sorely needed.

 

Fact is, there is no easy way out. No one wants to see sports cut and the kids lose out, but it might have to happen. Instead of sitting around griping, why doesn't everyone get together and take action? And I don't mean by going down and crowding the meeting room at the school board session. That ain't going to get anything accomplished. Do you have a booster's club? If not, start one. If you do, start fundraisers. There's a million different ways to raise plenty of money to fund the coaches' salaries. While you're at it, you might speak to the coaches about volunteering for a year or two if that's what it takes. Coaches are way over-utilized for the money they receive already. But if it truly is for the kids, they should be willing to make some short-term sacrifices.

 

But the bottom line is that there's going to have to be some revenue raised in that county. And that means additional taxes. If what I'm reading is correct, there have been past attempts to instate a wheel tax and it hasn't worked? If that's true, this sounds like a classic example of that age-old addage, "have your cake and eat it too."

 

I'll step aside now and let everyone bash on me a bit.

[ballhawk]

Truly spoken like someone who has never had sports play a major part in their life! Without high school sports, I would not be a teacher and coach today. Sports kept me on the right path and paid my way through college. I would say that without sports many students would turn to less desirable things. Cheatham County is going to gut its sports programs just to save a little money. In the big scheme of things, the pittance that is paid to head and assitant coaches is nil. In my opinion, nothing should be cut, the county commission needs to come off some more money. So what if taxes are raised, Tennesseans have the lowest tax base in the nation. That is probably why we are 50th in the nation in spending per pupil. How pathetic! And we wonder why we have so many problems with drug abuse and other crimes amongst our youth. So, yeah, let's take away sports, that will really help!!!!!!!

[ctf33]

The new word is that Chairman of the Board Stuart has told people (outside of the school board meetings) that if any coach walks out due to the budget cuts then he will have them fired for insubordination.

 

A few of key points about this:

1. I feel that the walkout will not happen because the commissions will make sure that the budget passes with coaches supplements intact.

 

2. I am not sure that if a head coach refuses to coach and understands that in doing so he forfeits his pay he can be fired for insubordination by a principal or school board chairman.

 

3. I am sure that this type of intimidation tactic is gutless and wrong, and shows just exactly how much of a "mine is bigger than yours" battle this has become.

 

4. Alot of bridges are being burned!

[Smarty Pants]

You're right, Written Word, let the bashing you begin. You dont understand that most sports already have to have a million fundraisers. The local community already gives soooo much to the sports programs and you are telling them to give more??? Then write Cheatham County a check please.

 

You do speak like a person who didn't participate in sports and don't understand the importance of them to many, many young students and how they help shape and mold their lives to become better people. The football field may be outside and be an extra-curricular activity, but at the same time, it is a classroom itself.

 

You take a pay cut for a couple of years and feed your family. How does it feel?

 

Now how does it feel a couple years later and you are still not getting paid for your time, hard work and services AND they tell you to just hang in there for a couple more years for no pay? See where I'm going?

 

Sports are more than "just extra-curricular activities."

[laduke]

Writtenword,

I think that it bothers people that when we need to make cuts that you never see any cuts in the central office, they just keep adding to and making more money in MOST cases. Cuts generally come from athletics and transportation ect... while the ones making the most money continue to do so because they are in charge. I bet the schoool board makes more than 9,000 in expense money.

 

My question is this, I really don't understand where the lottery money is going? I have heard that it is to fund education and most to higher level education. I think that we missed something when this money was not put toward k-12 education. With the growing need for funds in this state why did this get earmarked for college?

 

Has this county considered an education audit and a finacial aduit to help with their situation? In most cases central office and the leadership will waste more than they are cutting from coaching.

[El Rey]

Liberals... K.i.s.s it (keep it simple) ...nice shot robjim

 

The county commission had the luxury of giving more money to the board (i.e. We had enough tax dollars to support the increase). Don't blame my boy George for the MORONS at the board office. Also, writtenword is correct when he says that the NCLB is a demoratic idea, but it would take a republican to get something done.

 

I rather not live in a socialist system of government, I like my money thanks.

 

Love,

Rich White America

Edited September 15, 2004 by El Rey

[enall]

The new word is that Chairman of the Board Stuart has told people (outside of the school board meetings) that if any coach walks out due to the budget cuts then he will have them fired for insubordination. 

 

FYI, 

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Only the Director of Schools can hire/fire school personnel. The school board can only grant tenure and hire/fire the Director of schools and set school policy. This is all due to the law change few years back that took Tennessee to an appointed position rather than an elected office. If Stuart has the support of the board then he could tell the Director that "you either fire this coach or we'll fire you" or something like that. Not the way the system is supposed to work, however.

Edited September 15, 2004 by enall

[Solomon]

I will save the wrath on the Bush basher since my fellow posters have taken care of it, but I will offer an example of unnecessary costs in administration that seem to be the focal point of this.

 

A few years ago at a little college in eastern TN that will be referred to as "UT" there was a crisis because the professors salaries were lagging way behind those of peer institution accross the southeast. So I, alone with a few other students who wanted to make a difference, hopped on a bus (paid for by money made from the 98 nationala title) on several occasions to drive to Nashville to lobby legislators for more funding for UT for the professors. I was still a young'un at this point and didn't fully understand, but one of the state senators said "when UT uses the money they already get, we will give them more." That made little sense to me. Now, let us flash forward to President John "Schuie" Shumaker. What is the first thing he does (besides a trip to Alabama)? He INCREASES the amout of administration in the UT system. All the work for nothing.

 

This is an example of wasteful spending, the same problem that I would be willing to bet is going on the Cheatam Co. as well. It stinks because not are only athletic going to be cut, but I'd be willing to bet the arts, and extra for classrooms will be cut as well. There is so much administration and bureaucracy now in schools, it KILLS the actualy education part. (I could go on a complete tirade of the need of federal govt, Democrats and Republicans, to stay out of education, but I will pass.)

[ballhawk]

El Rey

 

As long as students are provided for, who cares how much tax money is involved. I would rather pay taxes than have no job at all. I would rather my kids have programs like athletics, art, and music. We don't pay a lot of taxes in Tennessee; it's people like you that have caused the problems we have. People that are only worried about their own wallets.