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Every dollar spent on art classes or chess club is also a dollar not spent on math, but few are suggesting those endeavors aren't worthwhile. Sports are a big t
by twoodfin 13y ago
Every dollar spent on art classes or chess club is also a dollar not spent on math, but few are suggesting those endeavors aren't worthwhile. Sports are a big target, but they're a big target because they're wildly popular and a huge part of the culture in many U.S. locales. Do you think youth football, soccer or baseball would go away if schools stopped funding them? Public schools are, for better and worse, one of the most democratic institutions in our society, and the activities they offer students reflect that.
When done right, there's a benefit to running youth athletics through schools: Practice time and other scheduling can be balanced against academic requirements, coaches (who are often also teachers) can monitor how performance is being affected on and off the field, etc.
Like anything else, there are tradeoffs and in a nation with tens of thousands of locally-run school districts some places will go way too far in one direction, but it's Utopian to imagine that, say, kids in rural Texas will stop playing football.
(And this is all without mentioning the many positive influences of well-run athletic competition on students: Health, teamwork, the rewards of focused effort...)
- elp1stolero 13y agoJust want to say how refreshing it is to hear someone mention 'Trade-offs' rather than 'solutions.' For me, that is typically a way to spot the difference between economic thinking (former), and political thinking (latter).
- fusiongyro 13y agoProbably because those endeavors (art, math, chess) are cheap compared to football. When looking at the budget, the most expensive items are going to get more scrutiny.
- xahrepap 13y agofootball (and other sports) also brings in more income (ticket sales, team shirts, etc) for the school than art, math, and chess do.
- brudgers 13y agoPublic schools in the US are egalitarian and as public institutions ultimately subject to the will of voters via elected representatives. However, they tend not to be democratic in a sense which would support your thesis in regard to sport. The standard model for eligibility for scholastically sponsored sports at the high school level is wholly dependent upon were the child lives. Thus High School athletes typically are not free to choose a team which best meets their individual needs. If the coach basketball coach has a bias against atheists [and in plenty of public schools team prayer is regular and expected] or there is depth at their position or the program simply operates on a seniors-get-first-priority basis, the player is not free to move on.* In other words, public school sports are largely organized around exclusive geographic franchise rights and there are extensive rules to prevent playing for whom one chooses and severe penalties for doing so by circumventing those rules. Furthermore, many high school athletic associations restrict how, where, and with whom a player may play in the off season - e.g. by limiting the number of players from the high school team who may play on a club basketball team together during the off season [and that's without considering restrictions on their ability to monetize their athletic fame or talent]. * NCAA rules also severely restrict player movement at the college level - while coaches may switch teams every season.
- twoodfin 13y agoI'm not sure I follow what you're saying, so let me briefly restate my thesis: Schools spend a lot of money on athletic programs because school boards approve budgets that allocate those funds. The school boards do this because the voters who elect school board members like athletic programs. Further, those same voters and parents often contribute funds for athletics above and beyond those being contributed by the taxpayer. Voters want school athletics, voters get school athletics. The degree of "freedom" that students enjoy within the school athletic system wasn't what I meant by "democratic".