Dan Sabers, a City High teacher and coach, stood up in the May 27, 2014 school board meeting and told the board directors how angry and disappointed he is that 7th-grade football is being cut.
He has a point. While personally I worry about head injuries at such a young age, or any age, and would prefer flag football for 7th-graders, he thinks that football is a good way to hook kids, especially under-privileged kids, into attending school and getting engaged in school.
Phil Hemingway said that if the district returned $24,000 worth of grass fertilizer that it doesn't need and paired it with $10,000 of unspent district funds, it could continue 7th grade football.
Certainly, studies show that one group of children, children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, are more likely to succeed in school and in life if they are actively engaged in sports.
Sabers' passion made me feel sad, even though I question the value of a program that makes head injuries more likely at a younger age. The cumulative effect of head injuries is a startling call to action in the world of professional football. Outcomes have been tragic in many cases.
Whenever we cut a program that teachers and coaches feel passionate about, it's not good for morale.
What is morale like for orchestra teachers, who are now cut in half? What is morale like for German teachers? The German program is being eliminated, whereas, according to Julie Van Dyke, a nearby school district is recruiting a Chinese language teacher. That district is expanding, doubtless with some ICCSD expatriates who left our district for a more stable and predictable environment.
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