No sports in Bradley County for homeschoolers!
A split 4 to 3 vote at a recent school board meeting says “NO sports for homeschoolers in Bradley County, Tennessee!”
The YES votes to allow this young man to participate in a county supported school were Vickie Beaty, David Kelley and Charlie Rose!
The NAYSAYERS were Chairman Troy Weathers, Richard Baker, Christy Critchfield and Rodney Dillard!
There was a one year pilot program suggested by Vicki Beaty (which I feel was a very good proposal) to see if there would be any issues that would surface from allowing a child to participate in football at Walker Valley High School being raised obviously by a very caring, yet non-traditional type family.
The Board room meeting was packed and charged with passionate home schoolers and their parents and the motion for a pilot was quickly shot down by the swift kick and leadership of Chairman Troy Weathers. One thing that was evident in the room was that this issue should have been considered at least as a pilot at the school. After all, the child was allowed to practice all summer and I didn’t hear of any issues that arose.
Board member Kelley and Rose expressed support for the pilot motion but did express concern for accountability and behavior type issues as a reason for hesitancy on the pilot. Walker Valley Principal Danny Coggins whom Im sure was towing the “populist, party line type vote” because we all know that you don’t stay a teacher or principal long if you don’t.
He said that he knew what the parents were trying to do but “you have to have accountability measures in place” Coggins stated further “that he could not sign off on a student being eligible to play if he could not verify eligibility to play.”
“Accidentally letting an ineligible student to play would jeopardize the whole team.” Mr Coggins, sir, there are already so many eligibility and behavior issues that are too numerous to count already from county students! Why do you fear that a home schooler is going to make the situation worse? Statistically, home schoolers don’t shut down school athletics programs!
Charlie Rose went on to cite TSSAA handout wording that clearly states that if a student is deemed ineligible because they knowingly provide false information, their punishment would be ineligible for a year.
Editiors insertion! Why? Because I can! 1st Amendment…..forget it! This means a child is eligible, just because his parents pay taxes and he is a living breathing child in Bradley County, HELLO, McFly? He becomes ineligible when he boo boos, he hasn’t boo booed yet, so he is eligible. Not ineligible just because he is a home schooler! Gaaaaah, this was a no brainer! Oh my this argument at the General assembly will be fun to watch and participate in, cant wait!
Mr Rose went on to say “the school board would not be responsible in this case, based on the wording on section 14 on page 24 of the handbook . Rose said the change was made about two years ago. School Administrators disagreed! Did you hear that school administrators disagreed with the TSSAA handbook, not believing the interpretation but disagreeing with the rule. It was so refreshing to see Rose, Kelley and Beaty stand up for this child, I believe they saw the human element in this this, did their due diligence and researched, came up with an appropriate argument to only have it nullified with tyrannical behavior such as comes from the Chairman of the board.
Kelley went on to say that this issue was going to be taken up with the Tennessee general Assembly in their next session. He said he feels a state law will be passed forcing schools to allow home school participation.
Chairman Weathers in his usual rapid fire Commando Dictatorial type leadership style says “THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT SUCH A LAW WILL BE PASSED! Tounge in cheek, because I will make sure of it! (note to self, my words, not his) Mr Weathers, let me remind you that if the PEOPLE want the law, there will be a law! You cannot dictate from the Chairman seat, just sayin!
EDITORS NOTE: Im a little dazed and confused here and many would argue that is my constant state anyway, but, if I am paying 60 % percent, did you catch that? 60 percent of my taxes to the Bradley County School Board in one form or fashion, my money is being used copiously like a heroin addict on a weekend binge by the board and many will argue (not very frugally,) but for every dollar in taxes that I pay goes to the school board, 60 cents lines the pocket of some semi wealthy Board of Education somewhere, don’t you think I should at least get something in return for that. I cast a novel scenario, if you refuse to let my homeschooler play sports, give me my tax dollars back and I will use that money to sign him to play elsewhere! You know that want happen, but why not?
Forget that he has non traditional parents (which I feel is part of the real issue anyway, you know that behavior thing from those “type” people!) but you have a young boy in his teens, tall, sandy haired muscular, good looking all American type boy with a desire to play sports at Walker Valley High, to increase his school experience, to get “the full experience” is being denied because bureacrats on the board are getting choked up on a rule that officially doesn’t even apply to this student or any homeschool student. But, its a “good global fit” to expose our children to Socialism, Marxism, Leninism and Communism with a 2 plus million dollar grant from the fed to start an expensive International Baccalaureate Program at Walker Valley that the taxpayers will have to foot, but a good kid cant play sports, go figure!
Note to self, board member Richard Baker did not attend Tuesdays work session but was “informed and updated by school administration” and his vote was ultimately the deciding vote at Thursdays board meeting! Hmmmmm sounds a little like DC in BC! Well played! You decide!
They made their decision based on a rule that pertains to a student within the system already. In this town, we have loads of behavior problems from non homeschool students on the teams who are still playing, because they will “contribute to wins.” Take for instance, a rule violation in the last few years that caused one of our local sports team to forfeit all their wins from the current season. I bet that was not a homeschoolers discipline problem!
What about the homeschoolers that are already participating, (I want mention them because it would be egregious to call them out in this forum, and if they are having the opportunity, please dont now take that away from them) I have cheered for many of them. Perhaps they are from church programs, that may make them “eligible”, I assume, although that still makes them ineligible, I would think. If that is the excuse they are using.
No child left behind! Race to the top! All these federal dollars going to a broken system and we cant even assist one and possibly others through our school system and allow them to play on a county team. My heart goes out to these guys whom for one reason or another have chosen to homeschool and now their dreams to play sports is no more at least for now.
I guess when you talk about “No kid left behind” I guess that only applies, well of course, only if you don’t home school.
Mr Weathers, once again you have peaked your liberal head up and negatively affected one of our students in our schools again. You have not been an advocate for the child but a puppet for the BOE! You shut citizens down in board meetings, you run citizens objections into the ground, you assemble a small group of “YES” people into a huddle and push the leftist agenda in our town. It is high time you and your cronies, your “YES” men and women, “NO” in this case are no longer “eligible” to play on the school board team.
Your behavior is not fitting of a Team player! You are now ineligible! How you like those apples?
The people, I know that is a tough bunch for you to tolerate, but, they are your boss. Like it or not you answer to the people and hopefully the next election will toss you out on your behind with the rest of the leftist, progressive, globalist politicians, I dare say. Yep your time is short and the next election the will of the people will hopefully “dictate” to you, your future, with the push of a button at the election booth! Just as you have stopped this child, you too can be stopped! The Republic is still intact and the will of the people at least for now, still gets the last word!
The Board Members that voted NO and left this child behind!
Weathers
Critchfield
Baker
Dillard
A change is due, just a suggestion that would turn our board back to “we the people!”
Vote and make your vote count!
This is the only true way we get change in Bradley County!
Contributing source: Cleveland Daily Banner
Bradley County News Network 