Post by SixtiesAggie on Aug 6, 2009 15:42:08 GMT -5
Editorial: Closing the book on Northern Guilford
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Now that Guilford County Schools has finished its probe into Northern Guilford High School, it’s time to assess the damage.
The school was stripped of its boys state basketball title, forfeited numerous games in five sports and had its baseball team tossed out of the state playoffs. Four people — the school’s principal, athletics director, boys basketball coach and a custodian — lost their jobs. Twelve students used false addresses to attend the high school. The school lost $1,500 in fines and another $7,800 in playoff revenues. That’s a lot.
But there’s one thing still missing: A little contrition from some Northern Guilford parents.
Most adults associated with the school were not directly involved, and many of them are embarrassed by the public beating their school has taken. But then one parent said this to reporter Robert Bell for a story that ran in Tuesday’s News & Record: “I don’t apologize for doing what’s best for our son. They say what we did was wrong. We didn’t do (anything) selfish or hurt anybody, so where’s the problem?”
There’s so much wrong there that it’s hard to know where to start.
They say what we did was wrong. The school district’s rules on residency, school attendance and student transfers are clear. It’s equally clear that 12 Northern students violated these rules. To think otherwise at this point is foolish.
We didn’t do (anything) selfish. ... Faking an address to sneak into a school to which you were not assigned and taking a spot on a varsity team from a legally enrolled student is the very definition of selfish. So, too, is thinking that the rules everyone else has to follow do not apply to you.
... or hurt anybody. ... There is plenty of hurt to go around. Just ask the adults who lost their jobs, the teams that forfeited wins and a state title and everyone else associated with a school with a big blemish on its reputation.
... so where’s the problem? The problem is with adults who lied, cheated and should have known better. It is with parents and school leaders who let themselves be corrupted by a win-at-all-costs attitude. It is with those who did not follow the rules and failed to be role models for their children.
Some good might come out of all this. The Board of Education now requires schools to make every effort to hire coaches who are also faculty members. The school board also is considering a plan to make student-athletes sit out for a year after transferring. Both should help crack down on some of the school transfer shenanigans.
Despite the crackdown and the punishment, some parents out there still don’t see the problem. That might be the most damaging attitude of all.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Now that Guilford County Schools has finished its probe into Northern Guilford High School, it’s time to assess the damage.
The school was stripped of its boys state basketball title, forfeited numerous games in five sports and had its baseball team tossed out of the state playoffs. Four people — the school’s principal, athletics director, boys basketball coach and a custodian — lost their jobs. Twelve students used false addresses to attend the high school. The school lost $1,500 in fines and another $7,800 in playoff revenues. That’s a lot.
But there’s one thing still missing: A little contrition from some Northern Guilford parents.
Most adults associated with the school were not directly involved, and many of them are embarrassed by the public beating their school has taken. But then one parent said this to reporter Robert Bell for a story that ran in Tuesday’s News & Record: “I don’t apologize for doing what’s best for our son. They say what we did was wrong. We didn’t do (anything) selfish or hurt anybody, so where’s the problem?”
There’s so much wrong there that it’s hard to know where to start.
They say what we did was wrong. The school district’s rules on residency, school attendance and student transfers are clear. It’s equally clear that 12 Northern students violated these rules. To think otherwise at this point is foolish.
We didn’t do (anything) selfish. ... Faking an address to sneak into a school to which you were not assigned and taking a spot on a varsity team from a legally enrolled student is the very definition of selfish. So, too, is thinking that the rules everyone else has to follow do not apply to you.
... or hurt anybody. ... There is plenty of hurt to go around. Just ask the adults who lost their jobs, the teams that forfeited wins and a state title and everyone else associated with a school with a big blemish on its reputation.
... so where’s the problem? The problem is with adults who lied, cheated and should have known better. It is with parents and school leaders who let themselves be corrupted by a win-at-all-costs attitude. It is with those who did not follow the rules and failed to be role models for their children.
Some good might come out of all this. The Board of Education now requires schools to make every effort to hire coaches who are also faculty members. The school board also is considering a plan to make student-athletes sit out for a year after transferring. Both should help crack down on some of the school transfer shenanigans.
Despite the crackdown and the punishment, some parents out there still don’t see the problem. That might be the most damaging attitude of all.