by heimer » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:54 pm
Let's be frank. Privates recruit all the time, and not just athletes. They are a private business. The idea that the only kids that attend a private school just show up and pay tuition of their own free will is ridiculous.
That being said, there's nothing wrong with that. They want top notch students and athletes to fuel the quality of education a private school can sell. There's nothing wrong with that either.
The problem is when we treat them the same as open districts that don't recruit and take all comers. Our current classification system does that.
I'm not out to see recruiting end. Charters and privates are the thing of the future in education, as far as I'm concerned, especially when districts decided to let school out at 1:30 every other Wednesday so teachers can talk about their feelings (but I digress).
I just want recruiting to be treated fairly in the system.
And again, it's not just athletics. I was a competitive speaker in high school 153 years ago. Guess who had about the best Class A team (outside of us, as we won three straight titles): Fargo Shanley. The hallway to their new athletic facility has a display to their top forensic performers in history. They are recruiting the exceptional student. Let them, but treat them accordingly.
God is bigger than football.