TOG, your argument is off base. While I despise cheerleading, the man's points are valid regarding any true travel squad. Look at the volleyball nuts. They travel to Indy, Columbus, Chicago, on the regular for tournaments. The money parents pay to the cult of the volleyball doesn't end with team fees. It includes hotels, meals, admission. I guarantee you the are spending great cash for the cause of the cult. While some will get schollies, I see others sign w Thomas More. The parents, like him, choose to spend their money in this way.

I'm still stuck on the $3500 thing.

 

What happens when a young lady from a family eligible for free or reduced lunch makes the squad? No way they can afford these fees. Do you bring your parents W-2's to the tryout?

Understand but if you spend $3,000.00 on any sport without a chance of a return of a college scholarship, spending that on getting a better education, wouldn't that be better investment?

 

Understand I don't know the value of Dixie education, I do know the value of Beechwood, HHS and or an NDA education, so I am asking?

 

I am sure the top students at Dixie are no different than the top students at the schools you mention.

 

How many kids at the schools you mention do things similar that also cost money?

 

And explain to me how you know the value of the education at the schools you mentioned?

TOG, your argument is off base. While I despise cheerleading, the man's points are valid regarding any true travel squad. Look at the volleyball nuts. They travel to Indy, Columbus, Chicago, on the regular for tournaments. The money parents pay to the cult of the volleyball doesn't end with team fees. It includes hotels, meals, admission. I guarantee you the are spending great cash for the cause of the cult. While some will get schollies, I see others sign w Thomas More. The parents, like him, choose to spend their money in this way.

 

I understand that, I really, really do and I despise it along with the volleyball players going all over the USA to play. What happens to the kids whose family can't afford it? Do they not play, do they get someone to foot the bill for it (big problem with that in sports already) what happens to the kid who is good but family can't or won't fork out the thousands of $$$$. Now remember I am not talking AAU or summer ball, no one forces you to play but HS sports?

I understand that, I really, really do and I despise it along with the volleyball players going all over the USA to play. What happens to the kids whose family can't afford it? Do they not play, do they get someone to foot the bill for it (big problem with that in sports already) what happens to the kid who is good but family can't or won't fork out the thousands of $$$$. Now remember I am not talking AAU or summer ball, no one forces you to play but HS sports?

 

 

What about the ones who cannot afford NDA? I know, I know, they have work study programs but what if that is not enough to offset the cost?

I am sure the top students at Dixie are no different than the top students at the schools you mention.

 

How many kids at the schools you mention do things similar that also cost money?

 

And explain to me how you know the value of the education at the schools you mentioned?

 

As you know DD my daughter attended NDA and I have read about Beechwood and HHS being singled out as some of the best in Ky. I honestly don't know where Dixie stands academically compared to those three?

As you know DD my daughter attended NDA and I have read about Beechwood and HHS being singled out as some of the best in Ky. I honestly don't know where Dixie stands academically compared to those three?

 

Mine also attended NDA.

 

 

Yes, those schools do get singled out regularly. I would like to know what percentage of their students receive free and reduced lunch compared to Dixie.Then you throw in the fact that they have out of district students that they must pass test for entry. I am just saying it is really really difficult to compare one to the other.

 

 

I am sure we will both agree that I hope these cheerleaders and their parents are just as committed to their education. IMO, it would seem that parents that are this willing to be involved with their kids extra-curriculars are also just as demanding in the classroom.

I disagree, even if I feel that the principal is in the wrong here, which is not clear to me. I am more interested in how the principal rules the school. Education trumps sports and extracurricular activities for me every day. That's why I was curious about any other issues. It would be ridiculous to fire a good educational leader for the incident you described.

Participation in Extracurricular activities is one of the 3 points of emphasis as was put in place by the previous Superintendant. They are are very important part of school and an education.

 

And this Principal is in over her head. Why would any business keep someone who cannot lead? She has caused a lawsuit (it's on it's way... and word on the street is that it is Dieters).

Dixie's education product is fine. I know a lot of smart and talented kids that have matriculated its halls.

A school is only as good as it's parents and the numbers who care. The difference is in the student, their desire and their parents desire for them to succeed, giving them tools to succeed. Parents consciously send their kids to NDA, CCH or Highlands in some cases, when out of district, with the belief their kids will get a better education. Part of that better education is like-minded parents staying involved.

My first rule is always "when someone says 'no offense' to me I'm about to be offended."

 

Which is fine by me .... a 'LITTLE" investigation into this topic (naturally ... with right people) would have saved you some bad karma.

Maybe you should change your first rule to "I need to make sure that I look at both sides before I make a public comment that may/may not be correct"

 

Very interesting decisions going on in Edgewood.

This definitely was NOT the first ... and it WILL NOT be the last withing in the current management model.

I disagree, even if I feel that the principal is in the wrong here, which is not clear to me. I am more interested in how the principal rules the school. Education trumps sports and extracurricular activities for me every day. That's why I was curious about any other issues. It would be ridiculous to fire a good educational leader for the incident you described.

 

While I agree with you here, I have to wonder if there aren't equally able folks in the wings who could be strong educators and also have the ability to lead the school in it's entirety. The education is ultimately the standard, but the other activities are vitally important and sometimes only need proper leadership. The only info most of us have is what's been laid out in this thread, but on the surface, it appears that the principal lacks some of the skills that many others don't. And I'm not intending to lay blame on the principal, because it seems there's more than one party responsible from what it seems.

A school is only as good as it's parents and the numbers who care. The difference is in the student, their desire and their parents desire for them to succeed, giving them tools to succeed. Parents consciously send their kids to NDA, CCH or Highlands in some cases, when out of district, with the belief their kids will get a better education. Part of that better education is like-minded parents staying involved.

 

Very well said. :ylsuper:

And like I said, the organizers make a ton of money, to manage and promote these events!

 

SkyCvg, I really do understand we did soccer but no way did we or would we, spend $3,000.00 to play.

 

I noticed that in your post there were a "they HAD" to have stuff. Well the "they HAD" to have stuff from your type seems to have set you off a bit and I don't blame you one bit for that. That type of stuff doesn't make a team or player better, it just makes one feel more important than others and that is not why you participate in any event!

 

 

 

BTW you mentioned gymnastics. I had a young girl play for me for one year who received a full ride to a big ten school for gymnastics, it cost her family a ton of money but considering the full ride, there was a return in their investment!

 

Finally as T&B ask, how is the educational value at Dixie? Meaning how does Dixie stack up against a Beechwood, HHS or even an NDA?

 

 

The "had to have" stuff was just that. We had no choice but to purchase all of the t shirts, shorts, warm ups, hair bows, etc. Some of it was unnecessary and some was never worn. If she wanted to cheer, these were the costs. The clothing doesn't make the cheerleaders feel more important than others, not do they use it to put others down. I don't get where that comes from. They are worn during practice to make the team look more uniform, so that the eye is not drawn to one girl more than another. It is easier to see mistakes and who is out of sync if all the girls are dressed the same. They are worn to/from games to identify the girls as a team. Most HS football teams have certain practice uniforms that they wear. No difference, except that the school usually provides them.

 

 

Of course organizers of competitions make money, it's a business. Every sporting event is designed to make money. That has nothing to do with it whatsoever.

 

Soccer was obviously YOUR choice. Have I said anything negative about your choice to play soccer? No. If you had chosen to pay say, $300 /yr on soccer and I chose to pay only $30/yr, then it was your choice to pay that. But that would be YOUR decision.

 

I mentioned gymnastics because there is a lot of time spent on teaching the tumbling skills in cheerleading as there is with gymnastics. I'm glad that your player was able to earn a full ride. Full rides with gymnastics are not easy to come by. But yet again, it was her parents choice to put a lot of money into the gymnastics hoping it may payoff in the end. It was our choice to allow our daughter to pursue a sport that she enjoyed whether or not she took it to the next level. Not everyone can do that, we were lucky to be able to.

 

DoubleDeuce is correct in his assessment of educational value. You can't compare them. If I had it to do over, I would have done things differently, but hindsight is 20/20.

It's not as big of a deal as the title "national champion" means in other sports... That was my point.

 

A few years ago one of the teams here was claiming to have won an international championship.

 

I think the girls work very hard. But the sport of Cheerleading has a culture that I have a tough time with. It is very different than other sports.

 

 

You can't really compare cheerleading to any other sport as far as National championships go. It is impossible to narrow it down enough to decide on one team. The different categories are staggering as well as the different companies that hold competitions. Other sports have more finite numbers of teams. While a Super Bowl title is huge, a National title for a cheer team is just as huge to the participants as a Super bowl title is to the team that wins it. It means that all of their hard work, hundreds of hours practicing, injuries suffered have paid off. It isn't as big of a deal to those outside the sport. Some people hate football and will only support or watch baseball for example. To these, the super bowl is no big deal. But the World Series is what they live for. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say cheerleading is up there with NFL football or anything. I'm saying it's the sense of accomplishment and within the sport, it's a big deal.