HS Students-Athletes leaving HS early

[cougarfreak]

What is your opinion on this? I'm going to be faced with this decision here in a few months. Let me give you the details. Currently, we require 30 credits to graduate (4 per semester X 8 semesters). We have never let a student graduate early (not sure it's ever been asked). We have a QB stud, how is signed with UK and is petitioning our school board to allow him to graduate early to go to spring ball. He is proposing he takes 2 extra online classes in the fall, to get to the 30 credits. Our school board policy is 22 credits (designed for 6 classes taken on a yearly basis), and it has never been updated for the 4 x 4 block. The board policy reads "22 credits unless otherwise deemed by the determining school". I'm on the SBDM which is going to get the kickback after our board says "yes", unless the school says "no". What's the issue? Well, losing kids early would cost us enrollment numbers. Which would cut allocations for teachers. I guess the fear would be, this would open the floodgates, and I could see that happening with lots of kids wanting to leave early (especially academically advanced kids taking classes early). We already allow dual credits for kids through local colleges (they can earn up to 18 hours in our school through these), and we offer up to 11 AP courses at our school as well. So, to me, this is strictly, I wanna leave early to go play sports (no claiming I want to further my education). I know this is a football inclined board, so I can guess what the answers will be, but....What say you?

[Comey]

I would think that this is an infrequent-enough occurrence that you could review on a case-by-case basis. The precedent has been set by other student-athletes leaving...really, I don't see the issue here. I don't think you'd lose enough numbers to affect teacher allocations enough.

Yeah, it's an athletic decision...but realistically, the kid is going to get a college education as well. You'd think so, at least.

[Izulde]

I'm not seeing the issue here. There's already a precedent for this. Hell, they even a shirt color for it (greenshirting).

Like Comey said, it's going to be so infrequent that it's not going to be a major issue. In my four years of high school, only one person graduated early, and that was for academics, not athletics.

[chadritt]

So he'll have the 30 credits to graduate? Shouldn't that right there be the end of it?

[TargetPractice6]

He's already been telling the Kentucky media he's enrolling at UK for the spring semester so there will be quite a few disappointed fans if he's not allowed.

The last semester of senior year is usually a cake walk anyway. Personally, I was only missing one class I needed to graduate and my college plans were already set. I can't say I took school all that seriously that spring.

He seems like a bright kid. IMO, it would probably be better for him both athletically and academically to enroll early.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by TargetPractice6

He's already been telling the Kentucky media he's enrolling at UK for the spring semester so there will be quite a few disappointed fans if he's not allowed.

The last semester of senior year is usually a cake walk anyway. Personally, I was only missing one class I needed to graduate and my college plans were already set. I can't say I took school all that seriously that spring.

He seems like a bright kid. IMO, it would probably be better for him both athletically and academically to enroll early.

It's going to be interesting for sure. I'm not sure what the board will say. I know the other QB from the area, who I think is a sophomore, (Towles?) tried with his local board up here and was told no. If it gets kicked back to SBDM, I think I'll be inclined to say yes, but it might not get that far either. I guess our principal could straight up decide as well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Football board or not, that has nothing to do with my answer (at least, not if I'm understanding the situation correctly).

There is absolutely no justification I can see for denying a request like this. If the student can do the work, don't hold them back. They should not be limited by doing college level work at "local colleges"* nor by even the simple social and/or lifestyle limitations of high school. If they can get the work done, get out of their way.

The number of students who actually have the courage & maturity to do this is typically so incredibly small that it seems virtually impossible to imagine it would have enough impact on any school/system numbers to affect staff allocations.

*I don't care if "local" happens to be Palo Alto or South Bend

[Lathum]

Isn't high school in theory to prep you for college and adulthood? I he is ready let him go.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Isn't high school in theory to prep you for college and adulthood? I he is ready let him go.

Simple and correct. Sports or not, he is going to College and if he completes the requirements to graduate there should be no issue.

[cthomer5000]

No brainer, let him go.

[Lathum]

He going to Kentucky, how good can he be. I kid.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Isn't high school in theory to prep you for college and adulthood? I he is ready let him go.

Exactly. I left for USC after my junior year of H.S. and I see no issue with anyone who is ready for college and accepted to a college for early enrollment being allowed to leave early.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

What's the issue? Well, losing kids early would cost us enrollment numbers. Which would cut allocations for teachers.

Just an FYI ... I wouldn't ever use this argument publicly. Too easy to spin that a bunch of pampered, tenured teachers living off the public dime are protecting their jobs at the expense of a kid's future. If you're going to deny the request, you'd be better off with argument that every kid is treated fairly and equally, and there is no reason to give one kid an exception that other students aren't allowed to pursue.

That said ... change the policy. A lot of school districts allow early graduation. My school district allowed it 20 years ago. We had to earn 22 credits, and a full school year was six credits. If you went to summer school, you could graduate a semester early. Not a lot of kids did it, but most of the kids who did actually came from very poor families who wanted to go get full time jobs faster.

You're not going to get a flood of kids doing this. Other than the concessional athlete or a super brain, you're not going to get a lot of kids who want to give up the biggest part of their senior year to go to college early. But if kids can handle the work and do the work, why hold them back?

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Exactly. I left for USC after my junior year of H.S. and I see no issue with anyone who is ready for college and accepted to a college for early enrollment being allowed to leave early.

And the exact opposite. I had the credits to leave after my junior year and chose not to thinking I would take it easy my senior year (taking 6 AP courses). Blew my knee out senior year. Not saying that I wouldn't have blown out the knee anyway but at least I would have already had the athletic scholarship locked up instead of using my academic eventually.

[General Mike]

If he has the credits to graduate under the rules, then let him go. If not, hold him hostage until he has the appropriate credits.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

And the exact opposite. I had the credits to leave after my junior year and chose not to thinking I would take it easy my senior year (taking 6 AP courses). Blew my knee out senior year. Not saying that I wouldn't have blown out the knee anyway but at least I would have already had the athletic scholarship locked up instead of using my academic eventually.

+1 here and had to go the JUCO route after losing my offers from Utah, Oregon and Memphis.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

+1 here and had to go the JUCO route after losing my offers from Utah, Oregon and Memphis.

Geez. How many would-have-been D1 athletes do we have around here?

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by MacroGuru

+1 here and had to go the JUCO route after losing my offers from Utah, Oregon and Memphis.

I had no idea!

[chadritt]

It sounds like there is no benefit to the student if hes forced to stay longer. If this is just for the incredibly small benefit of the district then he needs to be allowed to leave.

[PurdueBrad]

We usually have 15-20 kids graduate early simply because they have enough credits (from taking summer school or particularly heavy semesters) so it's been fine here. I know the neighboring town has tried to fight it but ultimately had to give in and allow it as well but they still review it case-by-case.

[finketr]

I did the math once upon a time and could have graduated at least one semester if not one year ahead of schedule but I wanted to take some additional fun classes my senior year like calculus and physics to be more prepared for college, and improve sat scores. couldn't improve my ACT scores as they were nearly maxed out. (35/36 composite back in 1988-90).

that said, i didn't graduate early and chose the "normal" path of high school, working two part time jobs (Arbys and basketball referee), and graduate on time...

Anyway, why would any teacher be opposed to one of your students showing the ability and gumption to graduate early?

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Geez. How many would-have-been D1 athletes do we have around here?

Trust me...its still a sore spot with me, and when I taught inner city kids on my tech tour I stressed grades all the time. I also did it with coaching.

All I know is if I wouldn't have screwed around and messed my grades up, I would have had at least kept one of the offers, the coaches told me as much. But a blown knee and below a 2.5 GPA I was considered a risk and lost them.

[murrayyyyy]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Geez. How many would-have-been D1 athletes do we have around here?

Some of us still played D-1, just not where we thought we would. What's even weirder is that my scholarship was in another sport.

[Grammaticus]

He should get to go. What is the purpose of school, to serve the adults or the students?

If the kid has finished, it should not matter why he wants to leave, he is done.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

He should get to go. What is the purpose of school, to serve the adults or the students?

If the kid has finished, it should not matter why he wants to leave, he is done.

I agree. There is a difference between leaving early, and finishing early.

[Chief Rum]

I was going to be drafted in the first round of the MLB draft. I was certain of it when I was 11.

Then around 12, pitchers learned how to throw curve balls.

Game over, young man.