Good vs. Evil

Or the bad guys vs. the good guys or basically... it should just be titled... POLITICS.

*Inserting disclaimer that this is MY blog, MY thoughts and if you don't like them, please... feel free to leave a comment, however, probably not going to change my mind. (Pretty sure you know when a blog starts like this... it won't be "pretty" it also might not make a whole lot of sense but I'm hoping when I look back at it months/years from now it will to me at least)*

In our "small" town and I use the quotes because I'm referring to the entire school district, in our neck of Northern New England there are SIX towns that go to ONE high school. Makes for interesting demographics. Also makes for a mixed school board and town governments.

As with every "corporate" America company there are budget cuts. Schools are no different. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure that the "big wigs" who are in charge are missing the bottom line. You are messing with the education of the youth of AMERICA. These kids...will be the next LEADERS of our country. These kids... are watching the administration not stick up for what is good and right and just brushing it off as "nowadays that's just what happens with kids today". Parents are not holding their kids accountable for their actions, PARENTS are acting like children to administration and the teachers and coaches are the ones who are losing their jobs, their respect in the community and their character is being UNFAIRLY compromised.

The school board makes decisions to cut coaches pay ~ by 15%. i can see those of you reading it saying... "oh CountryMouse get over it, it's happening everywhere in corporate America" Maybe. Probably. But when you are talking about people who making "roughly" $.08 as in... EIGHT CENTS... an HOUR how much are you REALLY saving the district? But when you are talking about THIS individual household that's about $1000. Between 2 sports and a guy who hasn't GOTTEN A RAISE to coach... in THIRTEEN YEARS.

SERIOUSLY? Who works at the same job for 13 years WITHOUT A RAISE?

People who love their job and who love kids.

We should be "happy" that sports is even still in the picture I suppose. Cutting sports all together gets tossed around often between the locals. As it is this year most 7th grade sports and Freshman sports were cut. Some people, out of the goodness of their hearts, VOLUNTEERED their time to coach. They took THEIR time away from THEIR families and VOLUNTEERED to spend time with kids.

Back to the point... there is more talk of cutting ALL sports. Hrrmm... yes. Yes I can see why you would want to cut something that 1) keeps kids busy from 2-4 everyday 2) teaches them commitment 3) teaches them discipline and 4) teaches them respect for authority, peers and other schools. Because clearly kids today have too MUCH commitment, discipline, and respect for authority. Right.

Just this week alone....some of my family had to go to a town meeting because their Parks and Rec program is threatening to get cut. Cut because the man in charge hasn't met his PROJECTED numbers... and yet through fundraising... has raised MORE than the PROJECTED numbers. What? Does anyone else NOT get that? Yeah. My family doesn't either.

Just this week alone... a coach of 20+ years was told they would NOT be recommended for re-hire because of, in addition to other FLUFFY factors, the low attendance of the sports summer program. Uh. Because someone has control over who signs up for a summer program? The coach has control over what parent can juggle around their work schedules to get their kids to camp everyday? How about who hasn't been effected by the gas crisis and is willing to truck all over the place for "summer camp"? And the coach has control over that? So we are going to cut someone who has an upstanding reputation in the community and LOVES these kids?

Just this week alone... a boy was bit by a dog (not badly but BIT nonetheless) during a practice off-campus. (Sometimes the kids with their coaches go to other locations to practice... runners on the main road, tennis players at the local park so they don't have to share the high school court, etc.) When the owner of the dog came out to get the dog, the BOY started screaming obscenities and swearing at the owner of the dog. SWEARING AT SOMEONE.

When the dad was told... his response... "Well, he's been deathly afraid of dogs his entire life." Ok. WHAT? He was not the least concerned with how his BOY handled another human being.

If my kid was bit... heck YAH I'd expect her to be FURIOUS, SCARED, UPSET AND NOT HAPPY. But to scream obscenities and swear at SOMEONE? Not ok. Scream at the dog sure. OBSCENITIES AND SWEARS AT A HUMAN BEING... NO.

And will this BOY be held accountable and made to apologize to this woman? I guess we'll see what administration does. The coach thinks yes. The coach is not happy with how the BOY handled the situation and thinks that an apology is due.

But with our administration these days... my guess....the BOY will get a pat on the back, the coach will NOT get recommended for rehire AND paychecks will be cut AGAIN by 15%.