All Kids Are Gifted, a Sports Metaphor

[Anonymous]

First, FCPS is spending over 15Million on AAP. At least as much on TJ. I don't know the sports number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If spending for sports is justifiable then there's no way and no reason that funding G&T isn't.

Why the obsession with spending on sports?

It's the GT way. They complain that their kids are not "getting enough" all the time. It is pathetic. They hate to see a child get something that they did not get. It is probably because they never played a sport and did not have to deal with inequity, like the coaches son... or maybe when the did they quit.

I think the reverse is applicable. People don't want to see any money going to G&T because their own kid won't get in. But apparently it's "pathetic" and "hate" and "complaining" for one person to feel that way about sports vs. G&T but an entirely different thing and perfectly acceptable for someone else to feel the exact same way but when it's G&T vs. sports.

Also, for the PP, every district is not FCPS. DCPS for example barely even has G&T - and they are one of the most well-funded school districts in the entire nation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If spending for sports is justifiable then there's no way and no reason that funding G&T isn't.

Why the obsession with spending on sports?

It's the GT way. They complain that their kids are not "getting enough" all the time. It is pathetic. They hate to see a child get something that they did not get. It is probably because they never played a sport and did not have to deal with inequity, like the coaches son... or maybe when the did they quit.

I think the reverse is applicable. People don't want to see any money going to G&T because their own kid won't get in. But apparently it's "pathetic" and "hate" and "complaining" for one person to feel that way about sports vs. G&T but an entirely different thing and perfectly acceptable for someone else to feel the exact same way but when it's G&T vs. sports.

Also, for the PP, every district is not FCPS. DCPS for example barely even has G&T - and they are one of the most well-funded school districts in the entire nation.

Can you point to one thread where a parent is talking about not enough money going to the sports program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, FCPS is spending over 15Million on AAP. At least as much on TJ. I don't know the sports number.

That is sickening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, FCPS is spending over 15Million on AAP. At least as much on TJ. I don't know the sports number.

That is sickening.

What is sickening? Do you think it's too much or too little? The total FCPS budget is $2.5 billion. $15 million is 0.6% of the total FCPS budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, FCPS is spending over 15Million on AAP. At least as much on TJ. I don't know the sports number.

They spend at least 6 million a year just on athletics staff alone - coaches and trainers. But the facilities quite a bit of money - stadium, fields, basketball courts 1.7 million a year just to mow and maintain fields, plus police costs for sports events and so on. Not sure of the total, but I think it's a pretty sizeable chunk of money. Then again, they have a 2.5 billion dollar budget.

[Anonymous]

They spend at least 6 million a year just on athletics staff alone - coaches and trainers. But the facilities quite a bit of money - stadium, fields, basketball courts 1.7 million a year just to mow and maintain fields, plus police costs for sports events and so on. Not sure of the total, but I think it's a pretty sizeable chunk of money. Then again, they have a 2.5 billion dollar budget.

Money well spent. Every kid in high school can attend those events and participate in activities that are wholesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Money well spent. Every kid in high school can attend those events and participate in activities that are wholesome.

Define "wholesome".

[Anonymous]

There are lots of kids who can't participate in sports due to disabilities, et cetera - there are also lots of kids who never make the cut to actually be on the team. Being allowed to come to practice but never actually getting to play doesn't particularly qualify.

As for the "sickening" comment... wow. Just, wow. The hatred and vitriol is absolutely bewildering. And strangely enough not a single poster has been able to articulate any compelling reason whatsoever why this is the case.

[Anonymous]

Looks to me like the jocks are upset that the bright geeky kids might get the same royal treatment that jocks do. They are all over this thread screaming "how dare anyone else get the same treatment!"

The reactions on this thread have been amusing to say the least. Not in the least bit coherent or rational, but certainly entertaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks to me like the jocks are upset that the bright geeky kids might get the same royal treatment that jocks do. They are all over this thread screaming "how dare anyone else get the same treatment!"

The reactions on this thread have been amusing to say the least. Not in the least bit coherent or rational, but certainly entertaining.

You have a reading comprehension problem.

You didn't even follow this thread.

Read the assignment again, try another response and if you get it right we will give you full credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks to me like the jocks are upset that the bright geeky kids might get the same royal treatment that jocks do. They are all over this thread screaming "how dare anyone else get the same treatment!"

The reactions on this thread have been amusing to say the least. Not in the least bit coherent or rational, but certainly entertaining.

You have a reading comprehension problem.

You didn't even follow this thread.

Read the assignment again, try another response and if you get it right we will give you full credit.

Why don't you go back and re-read this thread yourself. It's been page after page of back and forth between various people about "we rationalize spending lots of money supporting sports programs in the schools, even though many kids never get to participate so why is it so impossible that we might be able to do the same and support bright kids as well" - which keeps getting shouted down with "no, no, no, we can't do that, and it's SICKENING that some schools would even consider supporting bright kids at all!"

And thus far not a single legitimate reason or rationale expressed for why we can't or why it's "sickening".

But if you'd like to set the record straight with something more coherent, you are more than welcome to try and do so. But your glib "you're wrong" response above certainly won't go very far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They spend at least 6 million a year just on athletics staff alone - coaches and trainers. But the facilities quite a bit of money - stadium, fields, basketball courts 1.7 million a year just to mow and maintain fields, plus police costs for sports events and so on. Not sure of the total, but I think it's a pretty sizeable chunk of money. Then again, they have a 2.5 billion dollar budget.

Money well spent. Every kid in high school can attend those events and participate in activities that are wholesome.

You will be thrilled to learn that every kid in high school can attend the Math Olympiad, Academic Decathlon and Odyssey of the Mind (as an audience member). Wholesome and educational! Does that fix the situation for you? You're welcome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks to me like the jocks are upset that the bright geeky kids might get the same royal treatment that jocks do. They are all over this thread screaming "how dare anyone else get the same treatment!"

The reactions on this thread have been amusing to say the least. Not in the least bit coherent or rational, but certainly entertaining.

Do people on DCUM start threads about how come their gifted athletes aren't getting the school resources and money that those other people's gifted students are getting? I've never seen any.

On the other hand, I've seen lots of threads on DCUM about how come people's gifted students aren't getting the school resources and money that sports programs are getting. And also about how come people's gifted students aren't getting the school resources and money that [disparaging names for people with disabilities] are getting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks to me like the jocks are upset that the bright geeky kids might get the same royal treatment that jocks do. They are all over this thread screaming "how dare anyone else get the same treatment!"

The reactions on this thread have been amusing to say the least. Not in the least bit coherent or rational, but certainly entertaining.

You have a reading comprehension problem.

You didn't even follow this thread.

Read the assignment again, try another response and if you get it right we will give you full credit.

Why don't you go back and re-read this thread yourself. It's been page after page of back and forth between various people about "we rationalize spending lots of money supporting sports programs in the schools, even though many kids never get to participate so why is it so impossible that we might be able to do the same and support bright kids as well" - which keeps getting shouted down with "no, no, no, we can't do that, and it's SICKENING that some schools would even consider supporting bright kids at all!"

And thus far not a single legitimate reason or rationale expressed for why we can't or why it's "sickening".

But if you'd like to set the record straight with something more coherent, you are more than welcome to try and do so. But your glib "you're wrong" response above certainly won't go very far.

No. This is NOT what the thread is about.

The GT parents claim the athletic kids get more resources than GT kids, but have no evidence of it. The posters who understand sports know the athletically gifted kids get training and support out of school in the form of club teams which cost the parents a small fortune. The difference is the GT parents cry foul every 5 seconds and the parents of athletes don't. (They are too busy running fundraiser sand traveling with their kids sport stems.)

There are more AP, honors, magnet, academic clubs, AP prep and testing, etc than any sports oriented efforts. I am not saying they should go away. I just think the whining needs to go away.