Tebow Bill passes Senate

[Hampton Roads 6]

Now the only hope to save the integrity of high school sports is for the Governor not to sign it.

 

[shauntclair]

Not gonna' happen. The Tebow Bill is a done deal. I told you this is what it would be eventually. Simply no stopping it. You had as much chance of killing this bill as banning every offense but the spread. Just an Ostrich with his head in the sand.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

This is mostly a Republican driven bill. The Governor is a Democrat. There's a little hope left.

 

[dringtuoti]

Hopefully he won't sign it but I don't think that will happen. It is still left up to each individual school district to choose whether or not to allow it.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

Every school board member in the state that votes for it, should be thrown out of office. Nothing is gained by allowing home schoolers to play within VHSL. The parents have already said the public schools are not good enough for little Johnny or little Sissy. If the academics are not good enough, neither should athletics.

 

[trueblue102]

Exactly. This whole thing doesn't make sense to me. I agree with you. If you can't send them to school, then how can you expect to let them participate in a sport there?

 

[Coach G - FB]

What about private school kids? Their parents pay taxes as well. A huge Pandora's Box has been opened. People need to contact the Governor's office ASAP.

 

[Hoos19NC]

As long as the kid plays for the school where they live and the parents pay taxes I dont't see this as a big deal. I think the public school being forced to play private schools that can recruit is a much bigger deal.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

I pay taxes also. but I cannot go to the nearest Air Force Base and fly one of the F-16s.

It is totally stupid to play for a school and not attend the school .

 

[InsideTheLines1]

Many schools have academic GPA standards beyond what the VHSL requires. It is already a problem that each school district can enforce their own higher standard and some don't. With this being the case many students become ineligible to play but when Johnny's mom is the one who is grading his school work surely she can make sure his grades meet the requirement. Meanwhile Joe Public School Kid has to be at the mercy of his teachers. Although it is his responsibility to get his school work done the playing field is not level.

 

[cutnjump]

Nothing has been opened yet although things are creeping closer and closer to the edge. The governor still has to sign the bill and even if he does it is still the choice of each individual system. If he doesn't sign it that still doesn't mean he will not be overturned. Either way it is not mandated but, left to the discretion of the individual systems as to whether they will implement and, if so, how they choose to implement. As for the next giant leap to private schools that has not happened either and it will still be up to the individual systems as to how to implement, if and when it becomes a rule.

 

[shauntclair]

I liked your quote but here's the deal. The Governor wins votes from the home school community that will more than offset the few, like you, that will not vote for him again because of the Tebow Bill. The House and Senate have passed it. He can blame them if there are issues. The Bill is so open that Districts, essentially, don't have to change anything if they do not want to. He can't lose here. Number of Bill's signed and implemented counts come election time. This is one that can have no bad connotations attached. It will be signed.

Don't stress. Plenty of other States do this without issue. VA will do the same. It will not be the gloom and doom you predict and it was inevitable. Just like LCA will win their case against the VHSL.

 

[AMHERST #1]

It very amusing the way people view home schooling on this board. I doubt that the family that decides to live off one income which is about impossible nowadays. To educate there kid. Is gonna worry about fudging Johnny's grade so he can play I have a feeling most will probably have higher standards/expectations of there kids then the public schools.

Granted I'm sure there will be a few just like I'm sure there's a few schools who fudge for participation.

The one problem I see from this is its gonna open a new angle for the private schools. To argue into the vhsl. Regardless with in next few years I can see anyway the keep home school or privates out.

 

[cutnjump]

Until the Bill is actually implemented and school systems opt in(not currently mandatory under current bill) it is difficult to project how it will work. IMO I do not believe the parents that currently home school their kids are the risk with a new system. I think the potential risks lie in kids that are currently mainstreamed moving to a homeschool environment in an attempt to manipulate the system for whatever benefit they or their parents perceive. The Tebow Bill does provide a potential angle for the privates to pursue, however, there are a significant number of other factors that will play in to the litigation over private school participation.

 

[dringtuoti]

Who says plenty of other states do it without issue?

Most people don't know the background behind Tebow. What he did shouldn't have been acceptable. He chose which school he wanted to play football for and rented an apartment in that zone, he never gave up his original residence. He picked a school for purely athletic purposes instead of playing for the school in his zone. I think that is an issue.

I haven't read a single comment on here about the quality of education and the choices parents make about homeschooling their children but a few come on here and act as if they are being attacked.

On a side note, does anyone know if this bill will also allow the religiously exempt students as well as homeschoolers?

It would be interesting to see how the VHSL handles this with enrollment numbers. I've talked to some people at the VHSL about the upcoming litigation over the private school battle and a few have said that if they were forced to allow private schools they might try to make them all play in 6A in all sports.

 

[cutnjump]

The proponents are the ones who trot out "the 40+ states do it without issue", however, when asked to list those states they become silent. More importantly, when asked to compare the state system the privates were absorbed in to in those states with the system as currently structured in Virginia you get nothing but crickets. The issue is one of fairness and a level playing field and without more details and ideas on potential implementation plans being made available it is hard to speak to the issue in an informed manner. Your last item mentioned about forcing them to all play 6A would make it a nonstarter for all but a select few private schools, however, it would sort out those that are truly interested in just competing versus those private schools looking to "have their cake and eat it too."

On the Tebow situation, if a parent is truly willing to establish a second household in order to attend a particular school, I believe it is their choice, not that I believe it is necessarily the best choice for family models. It really isn't much different than choosing to live in one area but, maintain a residence in another area due to better job opportunities or the family that takes up a second residence because it is beneficial to their child's development of a special talent or skill. I don't know how religously exempt students would be treated, however, at some point if you open the doors to one particular group the argument against not opening them to all groups is weakened, in my opinion. It all gets back to the same basic principle of a level and fair playing field for ALL participants regardless of which side you take on the issue, in my opinion.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

There will be "some" recruiting of home school kids. Also those having academic troubles can quit school under home school umbrella, pass their subjects in home school and continue to play.

I personally know of kids who quit school to be home schooled, and never did any school work. It was just a way to legally quit school. I can see athletes doing same thing.

Remember when Tebow was home schooled, he "shopped around" for a good football team.

 

[myblueheaven24]

HR, I agree with you. As a coach in a high school that has some trouble getting kids to come out and lose several to being ineligible, I could see many coaches across the state dropping hints to athletes that are deemed ineligible or who are on the verge of becoming ineligible and letting them know how home schooling would benefit their playing career. It is not hard to be approved for home schooling. One can claim religious exemption or a parent can request home schooling and as long as they have a high school diploma and choose a state approved home school agency to go through, BAM, they are approved and only have to pass the minimum VHSL requirements, which don't even require a student to be in core classes. The VHSL requirement is be enrolled in and pass 5 credits for year long classes and 3, per semester if you are on block.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

Hopefully the county school board will vote this deal down if it ever comes before the board.