Schools, Trailers, and Bowling
January 31st, 2008 by FuzzTagged as: school district, west bend.
During one of my on-air contests this morning, a West Bend middle-school student got through as my contestant. I asked her if she was excited to go back to school this morning, and her reply was, “yes, we’re going bowling.”
Now, I know this caller goes to Silverbook Middle School in West Bend. My question is this, if the school district is so hard up for money that they are forcing kids to have class in trailers, then why the hell are they wasting time and tax-payer dollars taking kids friggin’ bowling when they should be learning? Pat Herdrich, can you answer this, please?
Yesterday, on the air, one of the school-board members was talking about how West Bend School District is not competing with Slinger or Hartford schools, but rather with China and India. Okay, so do you think the Chinese students take time out from learning four different languages in order to go bowling? I’m guessing not.
The student’s mom did call me and tell me that the kids were being rewarded for good work and that the parents paid for the bus, the bowling, and the shoes. The parents, however, are not solely paying for the teachers’ salaries or the fixed costs of the heat/lights in the school building while these select kids are out breaking pins.
They could easily hold this “reward” at night after school or even on a weekend. I know that some schools have deals with places like Pizza Hut or McDonald’s that give the students a gift card when they do well. Why can’t the kids get a “bowling party” gift card or something like that?
Seriously, the school board can’t talk about how badly they need money when they are spending some of ours at the bowling lanes. Furthermore, don’t talk about “competing with China” when we’re taking our kids out of the classroom and putting them in a bowling alley/bar during normal learning hours.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:08 am
Let’s not put our kids against China and India just yet…as there are plenty of kids in China and India who do not attend school. The kids who go to school in those countries may have a better education, but there are VAST sections of their population who have never attended school.
Also, let’s get our kids on board with learning the basic stuff before we start comparing them to over-seas competition…like name your senator/congressman. Because I am pretty sure our kids could pick Britney Spears or Hannah Montana out of a lineup…but no such luck with government reps.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:51 am
I disagree Fuzz. I’m okay with the bowling thing. What’s wrong with a little reward once in a while — during normal class time. I don’t think it’d be quite as valuable to the kids if it was at night or on a weekend. I remember going to school … got downright tedious much of the time. Something like that would certainly keep me interested and break up the monotony. It’s not like they’re going bowling every week. Plus the parents are on board, and as you mentioned, paid for it. And don’t you think they learn about socializing, competing fairly, teamwork, and a (perhaps new) sport while they’re at the lanes? Or can “learning” only take place in a classroom?
January 31st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
How about a little bit of academic rigor as opposed to “a little reward once in a while.” The few remaining manufacturing plants in this country are crying for trained craftsmen - and our kids can’t write a complete sentence when they graduate from high school, much less complete an impressive resume or write a meaningful paragraph. Our districts, our school boards and our teachers need to know we as a country and we as taxpayers and parents are serious about a serious education - and most of our kids aren’t getting one.
February 1st, 2008 at 9:02 am
I am a volunteer Math tutor of 4th& 5th graders who do not yet know how to add and subtract. (Yes, you may ask how do they get to this far in school without their math facts??) Sessions with a dozen children are a precious but quick 20 minutes 4 days per week. A bowling “field trip” a few weeks ago on a math day made me crazy with frustration and sent me into the principal’s office with a huge complaint. I totally agree with Fuzz, Claude and Jo. Just exactly when are we going to put some substance back into the school day??? There is so much extraneous stuff in the students’ day that it should make us all crazy. We are years away from China and India for heavens’ sake!!!