Tebow Bill
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Why? Home Schoolers pay the same taxes. Just a question, not aware of the argument at all.
To copy and paste from my editorial on it:
TEBOW BILL REARS IT’S UGLY HEAD AGAIN
I will, once again, stand by my annual stance on the subject of school sports teams and the “Tim Tebow Bill.”
For those who don’t know about it, the bill that has been passed through the House of Delegates and the Senate is known as the Tim Tebow Bill after the former college and NFL quarterback who was home-schooled and allowed to play for a local high school team when he was that age. A similar bill was passed last year, but went on to be vetoed by Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe based on his opinion that it would “create a double standard for student athletes.”
Let me start by saying that I completely respect someone’s right to make the decision to homeschool their children. Home-schooling is a right allowed and granted based on the choice that the student and parent make to separate themselves from a particular school or school system. If they make that choice, then I wish them the best of luck and, at times, certainly envy the fact that they have the ability to spend that time and effort with their children.
The luxury of that choice, however, should also come with a price.
By removing your child from the public schools, you also remove them from being subjected to the same standards a public school student must meet to play sports or participate in extra-curricular activities sponsored through that school. Your child does not have to sit in class all day and deal with the students with whom the regular student deals. He isn’t required to weave his way through the crowded hallways where fights sometimes break out. He isn’t required to deal with a teacher possibly having a bad day or a fellow student being in a bad mood. Your child, by being homeschooled, is removed from all of those possible bad situations that could result in a fight or bad grade that causes the regular student to be ineligible.
The regular public school student, by being forced to deal with the regular day-today happenings at school, earns his right to represent that school by being a part of it, good or bad.
If the home-schooled students want to be part of an athletic team, they are more than welcome and encouraged to join local recreation
league teams, AAU teams and travel teams. Most communities have a YMCA that offers leagues throughout the year. A home-schooled student who wants to compete in team or individual sports is more than able to do that with minimal travel or expense in a league or group that is NOT affiliated with the very school from which they WANTED to remove themselves.
I’m sorry, but paying taxes does not allow you to have your cake and eat it too while chanting “nah nee nah nee boo boo” at the rest of the world. If you want to represent a certain school, you should have to be part of it.
Allowing this will also open far too many loopholes for schools and students who are worried more about getting that athletic scholarship and being “the next big thing” than they are about being a student at a school. If someone wants to play for a certain school, then, by all means, they can move with their family to that school district and attend that school. People already abuse that. Everyone knows it, and anyone who has been around sports for more than a few years can give examples of it. This will only be one more way people can abuse the system.
Again, I completely respect and admire someone’s decision to home-school their children. It’s an incredible commitment to
their children for those who are able to do it. If you want to represent Pulaski County High School or any other school, you should be required to be a student at that school. Can kids attend New River Community College or study on their own at home and play football for Virginia Tech? No, they are required to be students of Virginia Tech, in good standing academically and by their behavior.
TEBOW BILL REARS IT’S UGLY HEAD AGAIN
I will, once again, stand by my annual stance on the subject of school sports teams and the “Tim Tebow Bill.”
For those who don’t know about it, the bill that has been passed through the House of Delegates and the Senate is known as the Tim Tebow Bill after the former college and NFL quarterback who was home-schooled and allowed to play for a local high school team when he was that age. A similar bill was passed last year, but went on to be vetoed by Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe based on his opinion that it would “create a double standard for student athletes.”
Let me start by saying that I completely respect someone’s right to make the decision to homeschool their children. Home-schooling is a right allowed and granted based on the choice that the student and parent make to separate themselves from a particular school or school system. If they make that choice, then I wish them the best of luck and, at times, certainly envy the fact that they have the ability to spend that time and effort with their children.
The luxury of that choice, however, should also come with a price.
By removing your child from the public schools, you also remove them from being subjected to the same standards a public school student must meet to play sports or participate in extra-curricular activities sponsored through that school. Your child does not have to sit in class all day and deal with the students with whom the regular student deals. He isn’t required to weave his way through the crowded hallways where fights sometimes break out. He isn’t required to deal with a teacher possibly having a bad day or a fellow student being in a bad mood. Your child, by being homeschooled, is removed from all of those possible bad situations that could result in a fight or bad grade that causes the regular student to be ineligible.
The regular public school student, by being forced to deal with the regular day-today happenings at school, earns his right to represent that school by being a part of it, good or bad.
If the home-schooled students want to be part of an athletic team, they are more than welcome and encouraged to join local recreation
league teams, AAU teams and travel teams. Most communities have a YMCA that offers leagues throughout the year. A home-schooled student who wants to compete in team or individual sports is more than able to do that with minimal travel or expense in a league or group that is NOT affiliated with the very school from which they WANTED to remove themselves.
I’m sorry, but paying taxes does not allow you to have your cake and eat it too while chanting “nah nee nah nee boo boo” at the rest of the world. If you want to represent a certain school, you should have to be part of it.
Allowing this will also open far too many loopholes for schools and students who are worried more about getting that athletic scholarship and being “the next big thing” than they are about being a student at a school. If someone wants to play for a certain school, then, by all means, they can move with their family to that school district and attend that school. People already abuse that. Everyone knows it, and anyone who has been around sports for more than a few years can give examples of it. This will only be one more way people can abuse the system.
Again, I completely respect and admire someone’s decision to home-school their children. It’s an incredible commitment to
their children for those who are able to do it. If you want to represent Pulaski County High School or any other school, you should be required to be a student at that school. Can kids attend New River Community College or study on their own at home and play football for Virginia Tech? No, they are required to be students of Virginia Tech, in good standing academically and by their behavior.
Gotcha, and I completely agree with you. Thanks for clarifying!
They should pay taxes, but if they choose to home school and not go to a public school, then they also should not be allowed to play sports. Especially if they take the place of someone who chose to go to a public school
It all boils down to the fact that sports are not a right, they are a privilege earned each and every day by the students who attend each school.
Disagree with all of you. Just an opinion.
I do think the Bill is not worded properly and will not cover the bases as I would like to see. I believe the Governor will veto it again. But I also believe homeschoolers being admitted to be involved with extra curricular activities is inevitable. Nation wide. Additionally, I have no problem with it.
I do think the Bill is not worded properly and will not cover the bases as I would like to see. I believe the Governor will veto it again. But I also believe homeschoolers being admitted to be involved with extra curricular activities is inevitable. Nation wide. Additionally, I have no problem with it.
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In order to play for any school, the #1 rule is: attend the school. this applies to high schools and colleges. It's impossible for me to comprehend how anyone should be allowed to play for a school if not a student there. The VHSL is not a open rec league.
What about private schools. Send a child to a private school then they play at public school. Same idiotic argument about paying taxes. Another example of parents missing on an important life lesson. Every decision made in life has consequences. Most of the time the outcome is favorable, however not every time. We are raising a generation of children who do not understand either accountability or how to handle adversity. Tell you what Rob Bell - Why don't we skip to your eventual utopian end and give them all a trophy now.
No problem with someone disagreeing with me on this, as every is entitled to their own opinion. What I can't agree with, however, is agreeing with something simply because it is "inevitable."
I am sincerely curious as to your logic in agreeing with allowing someone to opt-out of attending or being a part of a school and school system for everything but sports. I just can't wrap my head around that part of it. CAN people attend one school and play sports for another? Could we be coming to a day when a UVA student could put on a Hokie uniform at play against the very school they attend? I could see having home schooled students enroll in a league that pools athletes together to compete against other home schooled kids, that would be logical. I could even see possibly putting them together and letting them form a team to play against other schools, the most logical and most likely match would be private schools.
I do have a problem with it. I guess the biggest thing I have against it is that is simply not logical and furthers the whole "I'm entitled" mentality that seems to permeate our society today.
On paper they may have to be a part of a schools designated area, but then we all know good and well that there are ways around that. How many examples have we all seen? Do you honestly believe that this wouldn't create more of that "shopping around" for some kids?
I have been told by some home school parents that they considered their home the school. I can see the logic in that, as that is where they do the majority of the teaching and instruction for their child. The same would apply to the public school kids.
That means that the local public school is NOT their local public school, and that decision was made by them. If they want to enroll in public school and attend, then go for it. No one is saying they can't do that. Are local public school kids allowed to go home for a portion of the day to be taught by their parents? Either be a part of the school or don't, that's certainly their right and their decision to make, but you can't have it both ways.
All colleges are private? So they don't receive state or federal funding in any way?
So can a kid enroll in a local Christian school or academy AND play for another school? Let's use a close example here. Can a kid be enrolled in Daysprings Christian Academy or Pathway Christian Academy in Blacksburg and Christiansburg and play for either Blacksburg High or Christiansburg? Those are private schools in every sense of the word. The kids must apply to attend, pay tuition, and come from all around the area.
I have been told by some home school parents that they considered their home the school. I can see the logic in that, as that is where they do the majority of the teaching and instruction for their child. The same would apply to the public school kids.
That means that the local public school is NOT their local public school, and that decision was made by them. If they want to enroll in public school and attend, then go for it. No one is saying they can't do that. Are local public school kids allowed to go home for a portion of the day to be taught by their parents? Either be a part of the school or don't, that's certainly their right and their decision to make, but you can't have it both ways.
All colleges are private? So they don't receive state or federal funding in any way?
So can a kid enroll in a local Christian school or academy AND play for another school? Let's use a close example here. Can a kid be enrolled in Daysprings Christian Academy or Pathway Christian Academy in Blacksburg and Christiansburg and play for either Blacksburg High or Christiansburg? Those are private schools in every sense of the word. The kids must apply to attend, pay tuition, and come from all around the area.
OK. A couple of things.
Teams do shop around. We both know it happens now but the VHSL rules apply for home schoolers too. They'll have to come up with all the paperwork to verify residency. In other words, things won't be any different for the home schoolers than they are now for any Public School student. The recruiting and "work arounds" will continue.
No, I don't consider a home school to be a "school".
I don't see why you can't have it both ways. With Public Schools as they are today, I would see Home Schooling or a Private as the preferred route.
Of course Colleges receive State and Federal Funding. They fight for it. Which is why discriminatory and reverse discriminatory practices are not allowed.
Of course, a kid enrolled in a Private school cannot play for a Public School. But a Home School is not a private school. They don't pay tuition or have to abide by the Academic or behavioral standards dictated by the schools governing body. There is no governing body at a home school. There is only the parent, who could elect Druid Philosophy, alchemy and voyeurism as courses of study. Obviously, not the courses an Educational body, or school, would choose.
My neices are home schooled and it's best for them. But I do see the need for them to be integrated into the general population eventually. They need it because that's the real world. I see this Bill as an opportunity for them to do that.
Look, Dave, you have every due respect from me here. You are a true fan and knowledgable supporter of Cougar Football. I truly admire your ability to be able to remain positive in the face of adversity and negativity.
But we'll have to agree to disagree here. I have no problem whatsoever with homeschoolers participating in HS activities.
Just to be clear, don't take my taking a different side of this discussion as being mad about it. And I also appreciate your contributions to this site and anything you do for the kids. And yes, we can agree to disagree while still debating it.
Two issues:
"I don't see why you can't have it both ways. With Public Schools as they are today, I would see Home Schooling or a Private as the preferred route."
If we make exceptions for the home schooled kids, what's next? Are we going to allow other groups within the system to make demands for special treatment as well? What's wrong with the concept of "if you want to play for the school, go to the school?" Can I eat 20 candy bars and not gain weight? Of course not. Choices have benefits AND consequences. In this case the benefit is the parent gets to educate their child in the environment they want using, for the most part, the curriculum they want as long as it meets certain standards. the consequence is that they are not a part of the school or it's activities.
"They don't pay tuition or have to abide by the Academic or behavioral standards dictated by the schools governing body. There is no governing body at a home school. There is only the parent, who could elect Druid Philosophy, alchemy and voyeurism as courses of study. Obviously, not the courses an Educational body, or school, would choose."
So you don't see a conflict here? Little Johnny goes to the regular school, fights the regular day to day battles that a regular school kid fights, and EARNS his right to represent the school on the athletic field. Little Bobby is home schooled. He does whatever his courses for the day are, gets ready, goes to the school for practice and leaves. Then he goes to the game on game day. How is that right to Little Johnny who deals with everything every day?
Again, don't take my disagreement as hostility. I just honestly can't understand your line of thinking or reasoning on this one. So far you haven't given me any reason for it other than "but we want too."
Two issues:
"I don't see why you can't have it both ways. With Public Schools as they are today, I would see Home Schooling or a Private as the preferred route."
If we make exceptions for the home schooled kids, what's next? Are we going to allow other groups within the system to make demands for special treatment as well? What's wrong with the concept of "if you want to play for the school, go to the school?" Can I eat 20 candy bars and not gain weight? Of course not. Choices have benefits AND consequences. In this case the benefit is the parent gets to educate their child in the environment they want using, for the most part, the curriculum they want as long as it meets certain standards. the consequence is that they are not a part of the school or it's activities.
"They don't pay tuition or have to abide by the Academic or behavioral standards dictated by the schools governing body. There is no governing body at a home school. There is only the parent, who could elect Druid Philosophy, alchemy and voyeurism as courses of study. Obviously, not the courses an Educational body, or school, would choose."
So you don't see a conflict here? Little Johnny goes to the regular school, fights the regular day to day battles that a regular school kid fights, and EARNS his right to represent the school on the athletic field. Little Bobby is home schooled. He does whatever his courses for the day are, gets ready, goes to the school for practice and leaves. Then he goes to the game on game day. How is that right to Little Johnny who deals with everything every day?
Again, don't take my disagreement as hostility. I just honestly can't understand your line of thinking or reasoning on this one. So far you haven't given me any reason for it other than "but we want too."
Also little Johnny at home school can practice his sport all day long. This Bill may be the dumbest Bill ever introduced in the General Assembly. I hope Governor VETOS it.