Are ice hockey teams getting cold treatment from FBISD?
For two years, several student ice hockey teams in the Fort Bend school district have been badgering school officials to bless them with a student club status and to treat them just like any other student groups such as a drama club or a softball club.
Parents, coaches and the students have petitioned, e-mailed and publicly addressed the school board and the administration asking for the sport to be recognized. I still remember a school board meeting two years ago that dragged until after 2 a.m. after dozens of ice hockey players and their supporters lined up to make their pleas.
They appeared to be making some headway at one point when Mike McKie, the district's assistant superintendent for high schools, openly declared that "I don't see recognition as a problem" and pledged to advise principals to allow the teams to have their pictures published in school yearbooks and their activities announced in campus newspapers.
The parents and students viewed it a sign of the district beginning to address their concerns, though they were not satisfied with the promise because it stopped short of affording the teams the club status that they said would enable the teams the right to receive letter jackets and a sense of legitimacy.
But Rosemary Abramson, mother of a student player who attends Dulles High, said what McKie promised never happened. . .
Additional comment from Abramson in the blog that FBISDWatch thinks should be taken more seriously (parent/taxpayer representation on district committees):
"This is at zero cost to the school district and with zero liabilities to the school district.
Furthermore, it is very unfortunate that our elected Trustees, EXCEPT for one, voted on a policy that was not allowed any type of public input, no student input, no tax paying input, no established public committee or task force.
In the audio portion of the recent school board meeting held on Feb. 11th, the assistant superintendent, Mr. McKie, publicly states, we have to support the "Majority Interest". Our Varsity Ice Hockey kids chose a sport that isn't of the "Majority Interest" such as football.
Couldn't this be construed as a documented statement by a FBISD administrator that they, the district, openly discriminates against those in the "minority interest" ???
They, FBISD, has created a "political game" out of a child's game and have publicly stated in a documented school board meeting that they only support the "Majority Interest" --- what a PITY on the face of FBISD for OPENLY acknowledging discrimination."
From: http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2008/02/not_recognizing.html#comments
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This is at zero cost to the school district and with zero liabilities to the school district.
Furthermore, it is very unfortunate that our elected Trustees, EXCEPT for one, voted on a policy that was not allowed any type of public input, no student input, no tax paying input, no established public committee or task force.
In the audio portion of the recent school board meeting held on Feb. 11th, the assistant superintendent, Mr. McKie, publicly states, we have to support the "Majority Interest". Our Varsity Ice Hockey kids chose a sport that isn't of the "Majority Interest" such as football.
Couldn't this be construed as a documented statement by a FBISD administrator that they, the district, openly discriminates against those in the "minority interest" ???
They, FBISD, has created a "political game" out of a child's game and have publicly stated in a documented school board meeting that they only support the "Majority Interest" --- what a PITY on the face of FBISD for OPENLY acknowledging discrimination.
Posted by: Rosemary Abramson at February 23, 2008 09:41 AM
The students that play High School Hockey take it just as serious as football or any other High School Sport. They deserve their student club status. For years the FBHISD has fought against it. I pay taxs there. Let the parents decide. Put it to a vote. Why should the board have final say?Why does the board not want hockey as a club?What are they afraid of ?
Posted by: Steven Capuozzo at February 23, 2008 01:40 PM
more:
It's strong stands like this that have Jenney and the special interests seeking candidates to run against Magee. I mean can you be any more obvious than a Harris Construction Co. executive?
Posted by: fbisdparent at February 23, 2008 07:25 PM
YES. Here are some facts for all of us to remember;
* almost 450 Ice Hockey players are involved in the Interscholastic Hockey League at the Varsity and Prep level.
* another several hundred if not thousand are playing in-house leagues from 10 years old and up that will feed into ISHL at some time.
* several hundred roller-hockey players will eventually move up to ice hockey and the ISHL.
Why is it that FBISD and other Houston area ISD's want to ignore this number of players, who's parents pay school taxes, who's parents shoulder the entire cost of this sport?
This is really a call to all ISHL, all in-house ice and roller hockey parents to say, we have a voice, we have the power to make change, How is the answer.
None of us want to take away from any other sport, we love them all. We want hockey recognized as a legitimate HS sport, sitting along side the other great sports in the Houston area.
thanks.
Posted by: Sal Scibilia at February 23, 2008 09:31 PM
this is pretty lame.
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