Throughout the years that the Dorchester Times has been around, there has been some talk from proud parents who have threatened to send their kids to other schools to play team sports. Others, meanwhile, have talked about trying to "recruit" student-athletes in nearby school districts to play for Dorchester.
At least one lawmaker in Nebraska appears to disagree with both of groups. His message: Play for the school district in which you live.
According to the Omaha newspaper, under a bill now being considered in Nebraska, high school athletes who transferred after May 1, without changing residence, would be ineligible to participate in varsity sports for 180 school days. That would eliminate them from competition for a whole school year.
Currently, athletes who transfer after the deadline must sit out for 90 days.
The bill was offered by Dorchester's state representative, Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber. He said his LB1081 would “level the playing field” by making athletes sit out for fall, winter and spring sports.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, "the bill already has generated controversy because it contains Karpisek's proposal to create a point system to bump teams with repeated tournament success into a bigger enrollment classification to give other schools a shot at the championship."
Another great bill from the former owner of a local meat market who tried to ban livestock within 2 miles of any municipality. Term limits are a great thing! Competition is a part of life and passing more laws is not going to change that. Limiting choices for the public is not progress. As far as "threats" to move kids to another district, choice is a great aspect of living where we do. People lie in the bed they make and live with those choices. This blog has become very aggressive with an agenda towards circling the wagons on all things Dorchester. While this might be good for some townsfolk, it is not for everyone. Some of the choices made around our town have been wrong for few, some, most, or all. Some have been correct in the same manner. From the paving issues to the direction of our school, we are dealing with the consequences our leaders have dealt us. Don't criticize people for making decisions that are made in the best interest of their family.
ReplyDelete"This blog has become very aggressive with an agenda towards circling the wagons on all things Dorchester."
DeleteDo you think? It's called the DORCHESTER TIMES, for crying out loud.
Ha ha ha hardee har ha! I'm busting a gut on this comment because you know whoever wrote this is p.o.'d at the world, or at least their little corner of it.
Is this Laura Ebke or Phil Hardenberger leaving this comment? If not, I presume you are going to file to run for the open seat in Legislative District 32 since Karpisek is term limited. You are going to run, correct? You seem to be more than ready to criticize, which is certainly your right, but you seem to have all the answers and must be quite enlightened. So get on in that race for Legislature. Perhaps you can introduce the enroll-your-kids-at-the-school-of-your-choice-at-the-drop-of-a-hat bill. That will show 'em!
DeleteIn my snow globe I always thought I could just vote for the candidate that best represented my view. I didn't realize that I had to run for office to have an opinion. If you had not noticed, I feel less government is better and there is no reason to change the existing transfer rules. I'm not trying to show up anyone, just conveying that the situation we have in Dorchester is not perfect for all living in the area. If the grass looks greener in Crete, Milford, Wilber, or Friend, let the families transfer. They can decide if it is a better fit for them. I am not in a position to judge whether that is a good decision for their family. I would hope other people would let me make the decision for mine.
DeleteWow, someone is quite touchy. Looks like you hit a nerve, Dorchester Times.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting these were some of the same people pushing for consolidation. Just a hunch.
Circling the wagons. What load of crap from someone who lives in their own little snow globe.
Civil discourse. Ever hear of it?
ReplyDeleteI love it! The first comment accuses the bloggers as being too aggressive in their support and enthusiasm for all things Dorchester. Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!! I hope all of us here in Dorchester and the surrounding area will read that comment, which does make some valid points, and realize we need more people excited, passionate and willing to work to improve Dorchester. Let's work together and quit the sniping.
ReplyDeleteThe obsession of the Times with all things athletic is not surprising, but misses the mark when trying to promote the school and its merits. Why not do a piece on the Nebraska standardized comparative academic scores of area schools and lead the discussion regarding the quality of local instruction?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous (2:52 PM):
ReplyDeletePlease don't view our coverage of Dorchester athletics as an obsession. Think of it as part of our obligation to write about what the majority of readers want.
Longtime readers of this blog are well aware that we've written frequently about Dorchester Public School academic performance.
A search of our archives shows we have posted stories about DPS' performance on standardized tests as far back as 2008.
In September 2012, the Times published an extensive series of stories on DPS' test scores compared to neighboring schools. (We are pleased to report DPS students were at the top or near the top in most categories.)
We're sorry you missed them.
But remember this site is run by uncompensated volunteers who lead extremely busy lives. If you have a story you'd like to at the Times, please feel free to do the research and composition -- then send it to Dorchester.Times@gmail.com.
We are always looking for contributors who have great ideas.
Sincerely,
Dorchester Times staff