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The high school principals and teachers need more authority.
I would like to see every school appoint a teacher (from the English, math, history or science department) to monitor the performance of students in extracurricular activities, with the authority to bar any student from practice for flagrant academic non-performance. Truancy, cutting classes, failing to turn in homework or papers due, or disruptive behavior in the classroom would be examples.
The athletic department would have to abide by decisions of the academic monitor. Only the principal could overrule the monitor’s decision, and only for sound reasons that went beyond the value, of the student to the extracurricular activity. 1 I would introduce legislation that would provide funding to pay monitors for these additional responsibilities.
From experience as a player and a coach, I know what will happen about the second time a coach or drama teacher is told that students Jones cannot practice today because he didn’t turn in His math homework. The youngster will be called in for one of those “Listen kid” lectures, and it might very well be the best thing that ever happened to him.
J. W. (“BILLY”) O’BRIEN, JR.
83rd District
Chairman
Committee on Education Virginia Beach
92.6%