Vaught's Views: Readers question KHSAA

[colonel-fan]

From Vaught's column:

 

 

The KHSAA has a difficult, maybe impossible, job. However, wouldn't it be nice to see some consistent logic? Convince me it's not about money and put St. Xavier and Trinity in the same district or region.

 

Vaught's Views: Readers question KHSAA

 

 

I thought the introduction of 6 classes and the public/private debate were two seperate issues?

[colonel-fan]

A quote from Greg Warren, a social studies teacher at King Middle School in Mercer County:

 

"The latest creation of six classes is just a distraction to divert us from the real issue - the unlevel playing field between public and private schools. Public schools must adhere to district boundary lines - private schools don't have to."

 

In NKY alone, in addition to the privates not having boundary lines, Beechwood, Highlands, and Kenton County (Dixie, Scott, Simon Kenton) either accept tuition students or let their students choose which high school to attend? (Somebody let me know if I'm wrong on this). Is the playing field unlevel in the favor of these schools as well?

[theguru]

The first letter to Vaught is factually incorrect, he states:

 

"The latest creation of six classes is just a distraction to divert us from the real issue - the unlevel playing field between public and private schools. Public schools must adhere to district boundary lines - private schools don't have to. This is an issue that KHSAA simply continues to sidestep."

 

This goes out to Vaught and to Greg Warren in the article since neither of them understands the playing field:

 

Again, in case anyone forgot, you can't self impose restrictions on your own school district and then complain that others won't do the same. The practice is not only stupid but it is un-American.

 

On the second letter Vaught had to reach all the way to Ashland for a good story??? LOL Not to mention, most of the rest of us are tired of hearing Ashland cry. I wish the Tomcats would put less effort into complaining and more effort into their sports programs.

 

I do agree that it is odd that we would have 6 classes in football and only 1 in basketball but the football coaches association pushed for 6 classes in football and the basketball coaches appear to be content with their grossly unfair but ego soothing one class basketball system and if that is what they want so be it.

 

My advice to Larry Vaught would be if you want to make a case against 6 classes, make a case, but don't rely on letters/emails from the misinformed and the constant complainers from 100 miles a way to do it.

[theguru]

A quote from Greg Warren, a social studies teacher at King Middle School in Mercer County:

 

"The latest creation of six classes is just a distraction to divert us from the real issue - the unlevel playing field between public and private schools. Public schools must adhere to district boundary lines - private schools don't have to."

 

In NKY alone, in addition to the privates not having boundary lines, Beechwood, Highlands, and Kenton County (Dixie, Scott, Simon Kenton) either accept tuition students or let their students choose which high school to attend? (Somebody let me know if I'm wrong on this). Is the playing field unlevel in the favor of these schools as well?

 

You are not wrong, the only schools that have boundaries are the ones that choose to do so. Again, in case anyone forgot, you can't self impose restrictions on your own school district and then complain that others won't do the same. The practice is not only stupid but it is un-American.

[CentreRocks]

More from the article:

 

It would make too much sense geographically for St. X and Trinity to be in the same district. If the KHSAA was genuinely concerned about parity and an even playing field, it looks like that would be a logical move to make.

 

I'm glad I wasnt taught by Mr. Warren. Maybe Mr. Warren needs to take a Social Studies course himself. Newsflash: Louisville is bigger than Harrodsburg, thus a team can be in the same city but different district.

[Trinity alum]

The KHSAA has a difficult, maybe impossible, job. However, wouldn't it be nice to see some consistent logic? Convince me it's not about money and put St. Xavier and Trinity in the same district or region.

 

Having Trinity and St X in separate districts makes competitive, financial and GEOGRAPHIC sense. Mr. Vaught should get out a map and learn to read it.

[mountainmutt]

Guru,

 

You and I have had our differences in the past on this subject and it appears as though we will continue to disagree. I personally do think the KHSAA agrees with your views concerning school district boundaries and out of district athletes. While I agree that: 1) private schools have the American Right to market their product to anyone; 2) Public Schools can accept tuition students from other districts; and 3) it is good marketing strategy for the private schools to field excellent athletic teams (see auto racing and auto companies). I disagree with your interpretation of the rules regarding athletics. Schools are not permitted to contact students outside thier districts for athletic purposes. Now you can maintain that private schools make no differences in the way they pursue top athletes and nonathletes but, you know that this is not the case. Contacting athletes with regard to school district changes is recruiting and recruiting is illegal in the Kentucky public school system.

 

Again, I truely believe that private schools have the right to market to athletes, ultimately the choice of school is an in home decision. Students should be allowed to attend the school of their families choice. I also truely believe that this marketing privalidge creates an advantage on the field of play for the private schools. The validity of my view are reinforced by the scoreboard. Coaching at private schools is no better than at public schools, both public and private schools recruit and select coaches. The advantage lies in the ability to select the most talented players as a means of maintaining a superior talent base.

 

I support the private schools right to market and to attract the best players that they can but, I do not think public schools should be forced to compete with the private schools. The overwhelming majority of the public school systems around the state have publically agreed with my position.

 

I suppose my biggest question for private school supporters is; why do privates insist on competing with the publics? There is no point in it. The privates have proven that they are consistantly better. Playing the publics is like shooting fish in a barrell. How does this satisfy an honest desire for competition?

 

Another issue that we have not mentioned is the fact that the public school system would break down if there were mass transits from one district to another. Public schools are for the betterment of society as a whole and while they may have problems, they still do a pretty good job of educating the masses. There is no bettter way to educate the masses. There are numerous other issues in the interest of the public domain that we could discuss but, in the end, it comes down to the fact, that the overwhelming majority of public schools believe the playing field is unfair with a huge body of evidense (and common sense) to back up their position.

 

Why not have a super division of privates and be done with it. I think the answer is the small privates do not want to play the big privates because they feel the playing fiel would be uneven (welcome to the public world) and because the big privates like thier position atop Kentucky sports. If X and T

had to compete with other private schools as big as they are (lets say the Southern Ohio Catholic Schools) they would not win the championship every year.

 

I always look forward to your responses as they are always interesting and sometimes opinion changes. What do you think?

[Birdsfan]

mountainmutt - As hard as I could, I tried to find something factual in your post. Unfortunately, it's just a rehash of the same myopic arguments that a segment of the population have been waving around for years.

 

My favorite part is this line:

 

Now you can maintain that private schools make no differences in the way they pursue top athletes and nonathletes but, you know that this is not the case.

 

We'll just go ahead and ignore the fact the these schools pursue students of all kinds!

 

 

The world is not flat -- welcome to the real world.

[DELTA Rotary]

I suppose my biggest question for private school supporters is; why do privates insist on competing with the publics? There is no point in it. The privates have proven that they are consistantly better. Playing the publics is like shooting fish in a barrell. How does this satisfy an honest desire for competition?

 

 

Who would you suggest that X and T play? There are not enough private schools to support a whole football season. There arent any other 4A private schools in the state. X and T would have to play each other and thats it. If there were 30 private 4A schools I wouldnt care if there was a split.

[mountainmutt]

My myopic views are shared by over 98% of the public school systems in the state of Kentucky. It is not a secret that prime athletes are afforded more attention than average students by the privates. Why can't you private guys just come out and say, " Hey, we are into sports, we feel that having superior athletic programs is a very important part of our image and consequently an important component of our marketing effort. We make no secret of the fact that we identify superior athletes as early as possible and concentrate our efforts on securing these identified athletes as members of our student body." end of statement?

 

As I said, the advantage is in the ability to maintain a superior talent base; not coaching or school interest. The public school coach develops his players through his feeder program. The private school coach selects his players from other coaches' feeder programs. It is smug, to the point of being humorous, for anyone, to pretend that this is not the truth. Any half decent coach, that has the advantage of selecting his players from the talent base of his opposition, should be able to win against coaches that must develop their players from within the boundaries of a single school district. I really have a difficult time believing that any rational mind (in particular a superiorly educated private school mind) could come to any other conclusion. The scoreboard over the past 20 years reinforces this conclusion.

 

Again, I have no problem with the private schools' right to select the most talented players available and to build the best programs possible. My argument is with the privates' expectation of forced competition between public and private schools.

 

Addressing the scheduling issue regarding an all Private Super Division or simply an other organizing body consisting of private schools divided into divisions, school district boundaries do not apply to private schools; why should state boundaries? There are all private leagues throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Why can't Kentucky privates play in these leagues. In most cases, the privates in our bording states are affiliated with the same national organization as X and T. Let the national affiliations resolve this problem, it is not really in the interest of the Kentucky Public Schools to be concerned about this problem or any other problem encountered by private schools. Students in private schools have chosen (or their parents have chosen for them) to be segregated from the public school systems. Why not extend this segregation to the playing field?

 

Regards

 

Mutt

[Mastermind]

Mutt has some valid points. I would think that Private schools would only want to compete with other Privates for state titles...some of the bigger and high profile Publics would still be willing to play them in the regular season. I think the Private schools would have no problems filling their schedules. Why not have a small school private and large school private champion and keep the original four class system for the Publics?

[Jesse James]

"My myopic views are shared by over 98% of the public school systems in the state of Kentucky."

 

This is a true statement for sure. I know in Southern Kentucky this is a very true statement.Just look at the vote last year. Sooner or later the KHSAA will have to stop ignoring the masses.

[Birdsfan]

"My myopic views are shared by over 98% of the public school systems in the state of Kentucky."

 

This is a true statement for sure. I know in Southern Kentucky this is a very true statement.

But statewide I don't think it is. I think most people in ths state understand that these views are only held by those who want their championships handed to them and will come up with long-winded excuses with little substance.

[Jesse James]

I talk to tons of people from all over the state and that view is shared for the most part by all public school members. Thats from Pike Co to Mayfield.

 

Also I am not saying I agree with them, just that is the majority. Again look at the vote.

[Mastermind]

Did the seperation issue not pass by a vote of the member schools then get shot down by the KHSAA? I think most statewide would like to see change. I doubt it would be 98 percent but would be willing to say over two- thirds majority would like to see it happen.