Alright, we are going to get a little local hear, though the anti-intellectualism is the same everywhere. Here is a great blog article from WV Political Sweatbox about the two day rant Republican Hoppy Kercheval has been on about home schooling and a recent WV Supreme Court ruling.The court ruled that homeschoolers are not allowed to participate in public school sports such as wrestling, football, etc because the students are not held to the same standards that makes sports a privilege not a right. Anyways, here it is:
Homeschoolers, listen up.
I'm tired of listening to your incessant whining about how little Johnny Homeschooler can't play on the public high school football team. It's really annoying, and it's starting to piss me off. [This will also be a long and invovled post with a good amount Bing-ranting thrown in. You've been forewarned.]
For those who don't know, the WVSC issued an opinion the other day that said homeschooled children can't play on public school sports teams (and/or participate in extracurricular activities). In Jones v. State BOE, Justice Davis states three things. First, that the court isn't going to expand a statute beyond its clear meaning. They apply a literal reading of the releveant statute, and determine that the local schoolboard may assist the persons who will be providing the home schooling, and that does NOT include extracurricular activities in that assistance.
In plain language, this provision refers to providing resources “as may assist the person or persons providing home instruction.” W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)(3). Clearly, this statute pertains to providing educational resources to the person or persons providing instruction, who, in this case, was Mrs. Jones. Because the statute does not address providing resources, such as interscholastic sports, to a home-schooled student, we are not at liberty to judicially add such a provision.
Second, they state that an Equal Protection violation hasn't occurred, because other cases have held that private school students and public school students are NOT the same class and/or are similarly situated. If you have two different classes, no EP violation. Plus, they also buttress this point with the arguments from the State BOE, that they should be stressing academics over athletics (more on this, in full-on rant mode below), and the fact that homeschoolers are not used to calculate enrollment for recieving federal aid.
Lastly (mostly a procedural matter) the court rejects Jones' claim that the BOE failed to promulgate reasonable regulations regarding this matter.
Hoppy Kercheval's MetroNews Talkline show (so, some of this blame should go on Hoppy's shoulders), has had two full days of every hilljack, redneck, bible thumper, Clyde, Arley, and Imogene calling in and complaining about how "that thar Sooopreeeme Court of Wist Verginia is just out of it's cotton pickin' mind to not let little Johnny H. play fuuutballlll on the local Goosecreek Hollar High School team." Christ almighty people. Get a freaking grip. Little Johnny Homeschooler is not going to die if he doesn't play on the high school football team. In fact, a little bit of disappointment never hurt anyone. Hell, Bing's pappy used to say it "builds character." (Oh, and if anyone who knows who Clyde and Arley are, shoot me an email and you'll get a mention in the next blog entry. You'll be, like famous, or something.)
The really sad part about all this, is what it really shows about the sad state of educational affairs that is the general West Virginia populace. Like I said, on Hoppy's show it's been two full days of nothing but one long rant about how this court case is a travesty of justice, along with Randy Minor (Morgantown attorney) talking about how the legislature should get involved and protect the homeschoolers from the mean, nasty WVSSAC. Yeah, the legislature needs to stick its nose in this issue crucial to the future of our state. God help us, if Johnny H. doesn't get to play football. Toyota is liable to pack up and go home. Call in the legislature. Hell, call a freaking special session. We need to get this straightened out, and I mean NOW!! Where's all that "help" that was "on the way," Papa Joe Cheerleader?
Now, the callers into Talkline the last two days would have been grade A comedy material, if not for the fact they were so pitifully sad. They lambaste the court for being too liberal and overstepping its bounds. Hell, all they did was essentially apply a LITERAL reading of the statute. They didn't read anything into it. If anything, they were not LIBERAL enough, when you consider what Clyde and Arley wanted the court to do. This issue has absolutely burned up Hoppy's phone lines. All about little Johnny Homeschooler, not getting to play sports. It's a shame these idiot hilljacks don't have the same enthusiasm for making sure Johnny gets an actual education. You know, all that confangled book larnin'.
Kanawha County this year did away with social studies and science fairs, because of low interest and money crunches. I didn't hear a single caller outraged by this on Hoppy's show. It's a sad, sad commentary on the state of the general populace's interest in actually providing an education for their kids. Just don't stop Johnny H. from playing football.
And lastly, I have to comment on some of the homeschooling parents who called in to Hoppy's show. First, one of the reasons the court ruled the way it did, was that the potential for shenanigans increases exponentially. Public school students must have a 2.0 gpa to participate in extracurricular activities. If little Johnny can't hack it in public school, but REALLY wants to play sports, he can just become homeschooled, and viola, problem solved. The homeschoolers quickly point out that many homeschoolers actually do better on tests than public school kids, so that shouldn't be a problem. Ok, let's assume that's true. The problem of chicanery isn't with those who are homeschooled already. The potential for chicanery is in those who may homeschool in the future, to avoide the gpa requirement. So, the fact that many current homeschoolers test better (if true), doesn't mean jack. Nobody (including Hoppy) ever mentioned that to any of these homeschooler boneheads.
And secondly, this last smackdown goes out to the one lady caller who called in today to Hoppy's show and said that basically homeschooling is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Her little Johnny H. is just the greatest student ever, and she homeschools him. She defended the accusation that some of these homeschooled kids don't have the social skills necessary to deal in the real world. She stated that little Johnny got all his work done by 12 pm and then goes out and socializes and plays with the other kids. Uh, how can little Johnny go play with the other kids at 12pm? Aren't they in school? Unless Johnny H. lives where it's nothing but all homeschooled kids who get out at noon, Johnny's going to have find some imaginary friends to play with.
And to top it off, Hoppy asked this lady why she homeschooled, and if it was so she could inject religion into his education. And she replied yes, because "we didn't come from monkeys." Thank god she's got that whole Natural Selection thing down pat. It's no wonder people laugh at us with boneheads like this running loose in this state.
I now know why little Johnny is out playing at noon. It doesn't take long to do your homework when it simply consists of writing "God said so."
What does 2+2 equal? Whatever God says it does. A+
Why is the sky blue? Because God made it that way. A+
From reading Your comments about Home-Schooling, It sounds as if You know nothing about Home-Schooling and it also sounds like You were a Middle-School drop out. Every time You open Your mouth, You show how educated You are. Sometimes It's better to say nothing at all and thats where I am going to leave this.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
2 Comments:
Gregory