What Percent of Michigan Public School Fund Sports Over Arts

More than funding towards academics, less for sports would improve learning for all

Analogy by Ella Flax

The mission statement for the Redwood High Schoolhouse Foundation (RHSF), which is responsible for the fundraising and distribution of funds for Redwood reads, "Our vision is to advance the quality of teaching at Redwood by providing the customs with tools to inspire and prepare Redwood students for their earth beyond high school." The donated funds are allocated to the areas of academics, arts and athletics. However, academics receive a disportionately small percent of funds, bringing to question if the Foundation is actually following their mission argument.

In their 2015-2016 fund disbursement pie chart, the RHSF reported that 27 pct of donations were put towards academics, while 20 per centum were put towards athletics. Notwithstanding, these numbers are misleading. The Foundation too reported that 10 percent of funds were put towards the structure of the Ghilotti Field, which is simply used for able-bodied purposes. When added together, funds distributed to athletics (including the Ghilotti Field) received thirty percent of the total donation money, more than the amount distributed to academics.

While the sports teams are thriving on the court, Redwood teachers are struggling to receive updated supplies, textbooks and funding for activities like educational field trips. These are all materials that enhance students' learning.

Although according to a contempo March Bawl survey 52 percent of students do participate in a Redwood sport, 100 percent of students participate in academics during their classes. This is a schoolhouse, not a sports lodge.

Insufficient funding for academics is not a trouble unique to Redwood. The The states spends more taxpayer dollars per high school athlete than per high school math pupil. Our country'southward globe-trotting focus from academics to sports is becoming painfully credible. The United States consistently ranks low in international performance tests, which only highlights the flaws in our teaching system.

In a survey of 200 Southward Korean foreign exchange students from AFS (American Field Service), nine out of ten said that kids in America cared more most sports than those in Southward Korea. Similarly, a 2010 study published by the Journal of Avant-garde Academics institute that kids in the United States spent more than than twice the time South Korean students did playing sports. After seeing this information, it is not surprising that the U.s.a. ranked 31st in an international math test (run through the Trends in International Mathematics and Scientific discipline Study organization) while Republic of korea ranked tertiary.

In the South Korean culture parents are unremarkably very strict about academics and some may non permit their children play sports, according to Commisceo Global, but it is even so obvious that their schools are more than successful in pedagogy students the information necessary to perform well on the international tests. Athletics practice have many benefits like building grapheme, didactics kids virtually teamwork and showing the importance of working difficult. There is no arguing that sports can't bring a community together and teach students valuable lessons, but the newest equipment, coolest jerseys or the well-nigh expensive turf doesn't undermine those lessons nor does it bear upon the success of the teams.

Spending one million dollars ($500,000 from the district and $500,000 from the Foundation) to build the Ghilotti Field does not increment the success of the soccer and lacrosse teams. If there was a problem with the one-time field, pocket-sized but effective maintenance piece of work could have been washed to amend it. Using that 1 million dollars to improve bookish classes would take greatly benefitted all of our students, not just the athletes.

Of course, the Foundation should even so grant money to athletics to comprehend the basic costs of the teams, but any additional support desired by the teams should exist raised independently. If the Foundation were to grant even a fraction of the money spent on sports to academic clubs such every bit Contend, Mock Trial or Model United nations it would requite them the chance to participate in opportunities such equally conferences and events that they wouldn't have otherwise been able to.

Moreover, if granted more money from the Foundation, teachers could have the resource to better their teaching methods and develop new ones. Class sizes could become smaller by hiring more teachers, creating more of a 1-on-one environment for the students. Teachers would as well have better access to technology and a larger variety of classes could be offered at Redwood. More languages could be taught, new books could be purchased and more than later on-school tutoring could be available for struggling students. The schoolhouse could also invest in hiring more teaching faculty and so teachers aren't then overwhelmed with their heavy teaching schedule. Actress academic funding would meliorate and enhance the learning of all students at Redwood, no matter what afterwards school activeness they cull to participate in.

The Redwood Foundation needs to re-evaluate what they believe to be about important for our schoolhouse. The funding that the diverse departments receive should reflect what the purpose of a school is: to educate and prepare students for life beyond high school. They need to be reminded that a school is a place for learning, not basketball or soccer.  More money should be put towards academics, not athletics.

cornwelvere.blogspot.com

Source: https://redwoodbark.org/34692/opinion/funding-towards-academics-less-sports-improve-learning/