Very true, All Tell. Success begats envy. Envy begats jealousy. Jealousy begats animosity. Unfortunately, animosity often begats efforts at revenge. Thus, the continual assault on LexCath, X, T, and Sacred Heart.

^ tremendous post.

Very true, All Tell. Success begats envy. Envy begats jealousy. Jealousy begats animosity. Unfortunately, animosity often begats efforts at revenge. Thus, the continual assault on LexCath, X, T, and Sacred Heart.

Your post implys the assualt is one way. Pay attention to how almost every successful public school coach's name gets drug through the mud by the private community, and you may see things as a bit less one sided.

 

There is an arrogant element within the private community that is threatened/embarrased that a public school would/could be on par with a private school, so much so that they go out of thier way to denounce them.

We already know about the issues in Louisville. This thread isn't about you...

Your post implys the assualt is one way. Pay attention to how almost every successful public school coach's name gets drug through the mud by the private community, and you may see things as a bit less one sided.

 

There is an arrogant element within the private community that is threatened/embarrased that a public school would/could be on par with a private school, so much so that they go out of thier way to denounce them.

 

This statement may highlight the difference in NKY. Privates don't drag successful public coaches through the mud. Yeagle, Mueller, Spritzky, previously Owen Hauck and others have been highly regarded and applauded for their excellence in coaching.

 

I know that the NCC community was thrilled to no end when Schlarman took the job at Newport. It's good to see programs (public and private) succeed. It was a great thing to see Bellevue have the season that they had.

every successful public school coach's

In Jefferson County you can count those on 1 hand:cool:

Very true, All Tell. Success begats envy. Envy begats jealousy. Jealousy begats animosity. Unfortunately, animosity often begats efforts at revenge. Thus, the continual assault on LexCath, X, T, and Sacred Heart.

 

And why should any school in NKy be "any of the above" to those schools?

We don't need to play the above schools to play quality football teams (unless you are saying that the Louisville Schools are better than those from the GCL or from Cincinnati and thus Ohio). Look at Highlands, Ryle or CovCath (to name three).... They play Elder, Cin X, Colerain, and Moeller, and trust me, those I just mention can hold there own against any of yours any day of the week, without CovCath, Highlands or Ryle having to drive an hour an a half to play you. So are we jealous, envious, or care? I don't think so.....

 

Now as a fan of private schools in NKy I care what happens to you all above, however most really do get along up here.... Why can't you guys just get along....

Your post implys the assualt is one way. Pay attention to how almost every successful public school coach's name gets drug through the mud by the private community, and you may see things as a bit less one sided.

 

There is an arrogant element within the private community that is threatened/embarrased that a public school would/could be on par with a private school, so much so that they go out of thier way to denounce them.

 

Actually, we are only shaking off the mud that those coaches threw on us in the first place. It’s too bad it actually sticks on them.

 

There is an arrogant element within the private community that is threatened/embarrased that a public school would/could be on par with a private school, so much so that they go out of thier way to denounce them.

 

That must be in the Ville only. It would be a bit silly for an NKY private school to think that public schools are on par with them athletically when you have HHS and Beechwood bringing home the big trophy on a regular basis. Envy may come out occasionally but that's normal, right?

 

There are 3 schools that are at the crux of this whole public/private debate and none are in NKY.

Only based upon my conversations with the NKY public school coaches I have battled with on the basketball courts over the past 10 years, I would say that the public school coaches do not "get along" as well as the NKY private schools let on. It seems the NKY private schools like to promote this hunkydory feeling among all of the schools in NKY that is not accurate.

 

As far as Highlands and Beechwood, most people I know consider them to be as close to private schools as you can get without being private schools.

Your post implys the assualt is one way. Pay attention to how almost every successful public school coach's name gets drug through the mud by the private community, and you may see things as a bit less one sided.

 

There is an arrogant element within the private community that is threatened/embarrased that a public school would/could be on par with a private school, so much so that they go out of thier way to denounce them.

Very good post and very well said without it coming across as an attack. I wish I could do as well as you have done here in portraying my feelings on the issue.

I hope this post is read with the intent I'm posting it. I'll be as tactful and diplomatic as possible.

 

Here goes:

 

I do not think that Private schools anywhere want anything more than to provide, whether academically or athletically, the best possible opportunities to the children who choose their schools. The fact that most private schools enjoy a level of success (regardless of class or sport or academic criteria) has a lot less to do with any illgotten gains, than it does the level of committment and support for their schools overall. When people pay to have their children educated, there's a certain amount of expectation on results. Call it ROI, if you want.

 

I also do not think, from my experience dating back to my own gradeschool years, that the private schools have initiated this "us against them" thought pattern. Over the years, as private schools have flourished in many areas, I feel that it's possible that public schools have responded by casting stones, if you will, to try and disparage the "competition". Instead of focusing on strengthening their own weaknesses, whatever they may be, some public schools have chosen to attack others' successes.

 

RRR, as much as you say the things you say about private schools dragging public school coaches' names through the mud, have you not read the posts on here attacking Manual as school that robs the other schools of the best academics? It's the same premise. No one wants anyone else to be more successful than they. Everyone believes in equality, but apparently, that must be attained at the price of sacrificing quality.

 

Now, for the platitudes:

 

Success never final.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

 

 

Kentucky public schools have improved vastly over the years. But in the years when we ranked near the bottom, many people chose to put their children in private schools. And over the years, that has led to a family tradition. The private schools have to continue to improve in absolutely every area related to a child's school life, or we will lose our students to the improving public schools. That's just a fact. Private schools realize that, and invest in their facilities, and quality of education.

 

Private schools are also more apt to think "outside the box", if you will. Trinity's House System is a prime example. When all public schools are seemingly focused on dividing into smaller schools to facilitate the premise that smaller class sizes produce higher quality educational opportunities, Trinity has grown larger. To help students not get "lost" in those seeminly overwhelming numbers, they modeled their house system after a school in Ireland (forgive me, I don't remember which one, but it was a college I think.). This puts students from each grade, each academic level, all different interests, together into houses. Different competitions occur during the course of the year between the houses, students find mentors through their houses, tutors, friends....etc. The point is, Trinity hasn't decided to stop enrolling students because they reached a certain number. They looked for a way to continue their mission, yet improve it.

 

So, for what it's worth, as much as I appreciate and admire public schools, I refuse to be shamed into any sort of lessened pride in private schools in any capacity. I feel we've worked hard for, and earned, everything we've attained.

I hope this post is read with the intent I'm posting it. I'll be as tactful and diplomatic as possible.

 

Here goes:

 

I do not think that Private schools anywhere want anything more than to provide, whether academically or athletically, the best possible opportunities to the children who choose their schools. The fact that most private schools enjoy a level of success (regardless of class or sport or academic criteria) has a lot less to do with any illgotten gains, than it does the level of committment and support for their schools overall. When people pay to have their children educated, there's a certain amount of expectation on results. Call it ROI, if you want.

 

I also do not think, from my experience dating back to my own gradeschool years, that the private schools have initiated this "us against them" thought pattern. Over the years, as private schools have flourished in many areas, I feel that it's possible that public schools have responded by casting stones, if you will, to try and disparage the "competition". Instead of focusing on strengthening their own weaknesses, whatever they may be, some public schools have chosen to attack others' successes.

 

RRR, as much as you say the things you say about private schools dragging public school coaches' names through the mud, have you not read the posts on here attacking Manual as school that robs the other schools of the best academics? It's the same premise. No one wants anyone else to be more successful than they. Everyone believes in equality, but apparently, that must be attained at the price of sacrificing quality.

 

Now, for the platitudes:

 

Success never final.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

 

 

Kentucky public schools have improved vastly over the years. But in the years when we ranked near the bottom, many people chose to put their children in private schools. And over the years, that has led to a family tradition. The private schools have to continue to improve in absolutely every area related to a child's school life, or we will lose our students to the improving public schools. That's just a fact. Private schools realize that, and invest in their facilities, and quality of education.

 

Private schools are also more apt to think "outside the box", if you will. Trinity's House System is a prime example. When all public schools are seemingly focused on dividing into smaller schools to facilitate the premise that smaller class sizes produce higher quality educational opportunities, Trinity has grown larger. To help students not get "lost" in those seeminly overwhelming numbers, they modeled their house system after a school in Ireland (forgive me, I don't remember which one, but it was a college I think.). This puts students from each grade, each academic level, all different interests, together into houses. Different competitions occur during the course of the year between the houses, students find mentors through their houses, tutors, friends....etc. The point is, Trinity hasn't decided to stop enrolling students because they reached a certain number. They looked for a way to continue their mission, yet improve it.

 

So, for what it's worth, as much as I appreciate and admire public schools, I refuse to be shamed into any sort of lessened pride in private schools in any capacity. I feel we've worked hard for, and earned, everything we've attained.

 

That's a great post Rockmom.

 

Personally, I believe that the difference in levels of "success" both athletically and academically between private schools and public schools is caused by nothing other than necessity. It is absolutely necessary for private schools to excel at athletics and academics if their administrators want to have a job next year. Without successful athletics and academics, parents stop wanting to send their kids to a school that in almost every case requires the parents to pay more money than it would cost to send their kids to the local public school. As you suggested, the administrators much be able to show the parents a return on the investment of sending their kids to a private school. Furthermore success both academically and athletically generates pride in the school. That pride is absolutely essential when conducting critically vital endowment campaigns. Without the tuition paying students and without the endowment pledges, the private school is out of business and the administrators are soon out looking for work. Thus it is an absolute necessity that the private schools be successful.

 

 

Public schools, or at least a clear majority of them, labor under no such pressures. They, in many case, are the only school in the county. 95% or more of the students in their schools are going to attend those schools regardless of whether the respective school sends a small percentage of students to college, regardless of whether they fail to have national merit finalists year in and year out, regardless of whether they regularly test poorly on the CATS test, and regardless of whether they do poorly athletically. That is of course, unless there is a private school nearby or another public school nearby that performs higher in those activities. Furthermore, most public schools count heavily on state funding, not private contributions, to remain open. Thus most public schools have no necessity to be great academically and athletically to survive. They can accept mediocrity and be just fine.

 

Admittedly some public schools have finally awakened to the challenges presented to them by the private schools and the other public schools taking students from them. Newport is a perfect example of this. Their superintendent, Dr. Brandt, is absolutely livid that some kids who formerly lived in Newport have moved to Ft. Thomas because of the academics and athletics and his heck bent to improve both aspects of the school system to stop parents in Newport from moving out of town to provide their students with better academic and athletic opportunities. Hiring Schlarman was not by chance. It would not surprise me one bit that if Schlarman stays there and Brandt is successful in improving the academics at Newport, such exodus stops in the future. But Newport, like the other public schools who now realize that mediocrity is not getting it done, is decades behind the private schools and the public schools that have not accepted mediocrity for years. To think that Newport or any other school is going to catch up in a few years is simply wishful thinking in most cases. They may have successful teams and gifted students in some years, but it will be awhile before they enjoy the level of success they had last year, year in and year out. But certainly having the right level of committment from the administration, the coaches, the players, the parents and the community can accelerate the process.

 

Some smaller public schools do face the same challenge the private schools face however. Those that do succeed academically and athletically do stay open and are not forced to merge (Beechwood and Highlands for example in N. Ky.). Those that do not succeed, but rather are mediocre or worse, are forced to merge into the larger county public schools. Brandt saw what was happening, saw the enrollment at Newport continue to shrink in an alarming manner and decided to take drastic action. I hope he is successful.

 

LBBC, you are definitely right that Highlands and Beechwood are more like private schools than large county public schools. But they have to be that way out of necessity. When the state funding formula penalizes you and you need to raise 2.4 million dollars privately to provide the funds that the state fails to provide in order to do desperately needed renovation to the high school, the people that you ask for the money must believe that the high school is definitely "getting it done" academically; they must have the level of pride in their school that successful athletics helps generate. Otherwise, they don't give the money. And if the school is just mediocre in what it does, its not getting it done and the level of pride is just not there. Without that type of support, without that level of pride, without a high rate of success, parents in Ft. Thomas start looking elsewhere to send their kids, just like the parents in Newport looked elsewhere, the result being enrollment at Highlands drops. Which results in even less state funding for Highlands and less private contributions, and then its a matter of time before Highlands ends up going the route that Harrodsburg just went. So you are right in that Beechwood and Highlands are more like private schools because they understand the necessity of being a top notch school academically and athletically. They have no choice but to be extremely successful academically and athletically. To accept less would to mean eventual closure. The county high schools in Pendleton County, Boone County, Campbell County, etc have had no such necessity and thus they have acted much differently than the private schools.

 

Another diatribe finished. LN

I think a very simple reason why school get along better is just the formation of youth leagues and where kids grow up.

 

Kids who go to Holy Cross grow up playing with or against Holmes, Scott, And Simon Kenton. Cov Cath kids the same with Dixie and Beechwood and NCC with Newport and Highlands.

 

I think a large group of student athletes don't look at it as public vs private in NKY they just want to beat that group of kids they have been competing against or with for years.

I think a very simple reason why school get along better is just the formation of youth leagues and where kids grow up.

 

Kids who go to Holy Cross grow up playing with or against Holmes, Scott, And Simon Kenton. Cov Cath kids the same with Dixie and Beechwood and NCC with Newport and Highlands.

 

I think a large group of student athletes don't look at it as public vs private in NKY they just want to beat that group of kids they have been competing against or with for years.

The kids aren't the problem in Lexington or Louisville. It's the adults...