"It is Not Fair"

The Flower Child understands that starting with the 2008-2009 School Year that the Hutchings Career Center and the Renaissance Academy, both institutions of education in Bibb County, Georgia will field complete roster's of Sports Teams. Additionally they are planning Proms for the Spring of 2009. It simply would not be fair to not allow these Scholars to have the same opportunities as the other High Schools in Bibb County.

Of course the other option is to limit the number of tickets each football player, soccer player or basketball player could provide to family members so that they could observe their respective family member participate in sport. Of course this is and would not be fair.

Yet the Flower Child read in the Wednesday, May 28, 2008 issue of "The Telegraph" in Section B, entitled "Officials: New rules helped graduation exercises" by Julie Hubbard that new rules enacted by the Bibb County School Board helped make the 2008 Graduation Ceremonies more civil.

Some parents addressed their concerns with a school principal that there were not enough tickets available. The article went on to state that "school officials said students aren't likely to get more tickets in the future."

This is a shame. We all decry the lack of academic excellence in our Society. We often hear how the Students of today are not as well educated as students of a few years ago. We decry the lack of respect that our Students have for learning, yet we want to limit the number of family well wishers who can attend a High School Graduation.

I have never read in our local print media where the number of attendees at a High School Basketball game was restricted to fifteen family members of the players. I have never read where the State Championship Basketball Games held in Macon each Spring have placed a limit on the number of attendees that could watch the games.

Yet we have a venue here in Middle Georgia that can hold between 8,000 to 10,000 depending on the floor seating arrangements and we limit Bibb County citizens to a total of 4,500 attendees for a class of 300 graduates.

This certainly does not sound or even appear to be willing to honor Scholars who are graduating from High School. It is no wonder that our Scholars do not strive to excell in education. The High School Sport Participants receive more respect and consideration that those who simply do well in their studies. I do acknowledge that there are those who are Scholars that also do well in Sport. Additionally, "The Telegraph" with their Golden Eagle program honor our Scholars in Middle Georgia. But this Blog is focused on the Bibb County School System.

So what are the challenges with a large graduation crowd that can not be overcome using the same methods that are employed for a large crowd at a Basketball or even Football event? I was totally surprised to read this comment at the conclusion of the article I read in "The Telegraph."

"Schools such as Hutchings and Renaissance may have fewer than 70 graduates, but you have to be fair to all schools, she added.".....""You have to give people the same number.""

So in order to be fair I suspect that our School Board in Bibb County will hire the required coaches for a complete sports program at both Hutchings and Renaissance for the 2008-2009 School Year. After all, we have to be fair.