Letter to the editor in the TD today...ARE YOU KIDDING ME

[psycho]

I attended Johnstown High School back when it was Johnstown High School. We never knew McCort existed. They were not a factor. But now they are the best school in the area bar none. Why? What has changed?

First, our population has plummeted. All schools have lost enrollment, yet NONE OF THEM will voluntarily consolidate because parents want their kids to have a chance to play sports, be in homecoming, make the school play, be on National Honor Society, etc.... WITHOUT COMPETING. You parents are only doing your kids harm -- very selfish. ANSWER: Consolidate the Ferndales, Conamaugh Valleys, Blacklicks, etc. Get some numbers; get some competition going.

Second, public school teachers now have one of the toughest jobs in America. Now, in addition to being a teacher and mentor, teachers have to be psychologists and, in many cases, a parent to kids whose "parents" are irresponsible losers. Couple this new role with the fact that they can no longer administer discipline to kids in public schools and you have a great incentive to send your kid to a private school. ANSWER: Uniforms for publics. Allow discipline again in publics. This has worked in some inner city schools.

Third, in some public schools parents are allowed to run amuck in the sports programs. Look at Westmont several years back when their football parents tried to get their kids to boycott a game because they didn't like their coach. Look at what they did to some of the best people and coaches in our area -- Fetzer, Skowron, McLauren, Steve Warner. With these shananigans, no wonder people want to send their kids to private schools. ANSWER: Support your coach, especially in front of your kid.

Finally, when I attended JHS, kids were placed in different class levels according to how smart they were. Now alot of publics have one level of classes only. Alot of privates, although they get $0 from the govt, are someow able to offer different levels of the same class and advanced courses to students who can do the work. ANSWER: Get rid of the outcome based education system and challenge kids according to their aptitudes. The dumbing down of our kids has got to stop.

This whole problem with public vs private has arisen because private education is now what public education used to be.

[Dfense wins games]

Love that post psycho!

"Education > Sports " or so some say...

Recruiting hardly a case compared to vouchers...

Bring vouchers to PA!

Schools that have crap teachers who they can't get rid of b/c of tenure would be forced to cut the slack or close the doors. Then teachers would be held accountable. Students would be held accountable. Even parents would be held accountable! Heaven forbid parents having a hand in their child's future!!

[DoCoogie]

Because nowhere else in Johnstown can you:

1.)Get a great education
2.)Meet kids from all walks of life
3.)Look so good winning

It's not a hard concept to grasp. Why more people haven't seen the light is beyond my post-pubescent mind.

1. As I said above, Westmont and Richland are two of the top schools in the area, based on ACADEMIC performance (you can google test scores.)

2. I would love to hear a specific definition for "all walks of life", understanding that this is Johnstown - not Los Angeles.

3. Winning what, specifically? Just one sport, several sports or all sports? I have a list of state championship gold and silver medals from Westmont in the past ten years that includes hockey, soccer, girls basketball (twice), wrestling (Bennett), golf (Lovette, Wolfe), track (Kanuch, McQuillen), cross country (Mock) and swimming. Or are we just talking about one sport, such as ... say ... football?

[DragonPride09]

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH THE GUY WHO WROTE THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR..WHOEVER YOU ARE JUST KNOW YOU ARE MY HERO..BIG UPS!!!

[bbsocceralumni]

Crimson,
Go to my post again. Am I right about everything else I said because you sure had nothing to say about it. Wait don't because it's the truth. Your little excuse that kids go there for education is getting old. Yeah, some might, but majority go just for athletics. Are you guys going to get the freshman qb that your playing this week for next season?

[pats39]

"look so good winning" is a debateable staatement, as Richland and westmont both have had more success across the board in sports, Richland winning the all LH cup the last two years and westy the previous two years. Heck you can get a better education at Richland or Westmont hands down, and attend a school where 95% of the population isnt Catholic, there is even a synagogue in westmont.

but whats happening to carrol will happen to mccort real soon unless they REALLY start to hit the "recruiting" trail

recruiting used very loosely

[mega_emperor29]

Here is a suggestion P.I.A.A. has an independent league Chestnut Ridge is in it. If McCort wants to go Double A regular season, then mysteriously come down to single A in the playoffs because of lack of players make them go independent. Why do they play double A teams in the regular season then come down a whole league? Answer; for the playoff points for single A which gives an unfair advantage. The solution is easy single A all year or independent.

[Dfense wins games]

Its funny, maybe all of you need to go back to Kindergarten and learn the story of how our country got started. A bunch of people didn't like the situation they were in (religious persecution, horrible housing and working conditions,ect, so they left. That is how our country was started. Why should BM be punished.


Oh wait, they don't teach social studies (or democratic values which are very Christ-like in nature) in public schools any more....

[mega_emperor29]

Its funny, maybe all of you need to go back to Kindergarten and learn the story of how our country got started. A bunch of people didn't like the situation they were in (religious persecution, horrible housing and working conditions,ect, so they left. That is how our country was started. Why should BM be punished.


Oh wait, they don't teach social studies (or democratic values which are very Christ-like in nature) in public schools any more....

We weren't talking about religion

[pats39]

actually yes they do. Just read an article last week how richland had an elective bible study class