Robert A. Levine 4-16-12
As an avid sports fan who follows teams on a college and professional level, I find the skewed
priorities favoring sports over education for allocation of resources by state and local governments disturbing. Support for sports teams at high schools and colleges has continued or expanded even as school funding has dwindled, with coaches and athletic programs as the tails wagging the educational dogs. With March Madness having just passed, it’s appropriate to ask whether America will be able to participate in the “big game” of national economic competitiveness in future years, since contending is dependant on an educated populace.
There is little question that America does a poor job of educating its citizens compared to other nations. The Program for International Student Assessment in 2009 had the U.S. at 17th in reading proficiency, 31st in math and 23rd in science. Instructors estimate that over 40% of college freshmen are unprepared for course work. Equally disheartening, employers say that 39% of applicants are not qualified for entry level jobs.
Yet despite the above deficiencies, funding for teachers’ salaries, additional teachers and facility upgrades is being curtailed throughout the nation. Admittedly, there are many reasons why America’s students perform poorly, including a lack of parental interest, poor teaching, language barriers, cultural mindsets, and so forth. And while increased funding is not the only answer to improve student performance, better teachers, more teachers and better facilities, all requiring increased funding, would certainly help.
On the other hand, money is being spent freely on athletic programs at many high schools and colleges. Texas is emblematic of the support given athletics while education is being starved. In the NEA rankings in December 2010, Texas was 33rd in teacher salaries and 44th in per student spending in K-12 schools. State testing (SERI) in science and mathematics in 2011 had Texas students 31st. In the percentage of state populations over age twenty-five with at least a high school education, Texas came in last. Yet a new football stadium for Allen, Texas, high school last
year was built at a cost of $60 million. The new stadium seats 18,000 people, replacing one that held 14,200. In 2006, high school football coaches in Texas averaged $73,800 in salary, versus $42,400 for teachers. And it isn’t only coaches and stadiums that athletic programs require, but assistant coaches, administrative personnel, training and weight rooms, and so forth.
On a university level, Texas football coach Mack Brown was the highest paid in America in 2010, earning $5.1 million plus incentives. This was while a pay freeze was in place at the university and tuition was being increased. While other Texas coaches earned less, they were still well paid compared to professors at their institutions.
The focus on sports in Texas is mirrored in other states with poor educational achievement. In Alabama, the head football coach currently has a guaranteed salary of $44 million over eight years, while full time faculty members will earn an average of $650,000 during this same period. In other words, the coach will be paid over sixty-six times the annual salary of faculty members. Another report showed that between 1985 and 2010, average salaries for professors at public universities around the nation rose 32% while those of football coaches went up 650%. This sends a message to students and faculty that they are not valued and that athletics is more important than education. Indeed, athletic prowess rather than academics is the way many universities brand themselves.
In general, states that most strongly embrace school sports are the ones that fare worst academically. Supporters of university sports programs argue that they bring in money and provide positive publicity for the school. And indeed that’s the case for some institutions that consistently have winning records in the major sports. But not every university can be a winner and there are far more that lose money on athletics than those that are profitable. And building athletic powerhouses on a high school level makes no sense at all.
To prepare America for the “big game,” the culture at high schools and universities must be changed, with more focus on academics and less on sports. Consideration might be given to having sports teams separated from the schools and run as independent clubs with school affiliations. Having an Ivy League-like de-emphasis on athletics is another option. Sports-rabid alumni, however, are unlikely to agree to these kinds of changes.
America is in competition with nations where students are willing to put in long hours of study, and academic proficiency is lauded. Sports are fun but need to play second fiddle to academics if America is to thrive in the 21st century’s “big game.”
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
As an avid sports fan who follows teams on a college and professional level, I find the skewed
There is little question that America does a poor job of educating its citizens compared to other nations. The Program for International Student Assessment in 2009 had the U.S. at 17th in reading proficiency, 31st in math and 23rd in science. Instructors estimate that over 40% of college freshmen are unprepared for course work. Equally disheartening, employers say that 39% of applicants are not qualified for entry level jobs.
Yet despite the above deficiencies, funding for teachers’ salaries, additional teachers and facility upgrades is being curtailed throughout the nation. Admittedly, there are many reasons why America’s students perform poorly, including a lack of parental interest, poor teaching, language barriers, cultural mindsets, and so forth. And while increased funding is not the only answer to improve student performance, better teachers, more teachers and better facilities, all requiring increased funding, would certainly help.
On the other hand, money is being spent freely on athletic programs at many high schools and colleges. Texas is emblematic of the support given athletics while education is being starved. In the NEA rankings in December 2010, Texas was 33rd in teacher salaries and 44th in per student spending in K-12 schools. State testing (SERI) in science and mathematics in 2011 had Texas students 31st. In the percentage of state populations over age twenty-five with at least a high school education, Texas came in last. Yet a new football stadium for Allen, Texas, high school last
On a university level, Texas football coach Mack Brown was the highest paid in America in 2010, earning $5.1 million plus incentives. This was while a pay freeze was in place at the university and tuition was being increased. While other Texas coaches earned less, they were still well paid compared to professors at their institutions.
The focus on sports in Texas is mirrored in other states with poor educational achievement. In Alabama, the head football coach currently has a guaranteed salary of $44 million over eight years, while full time faculty members will earn an average of $650,000 during this same period. In other words, the coach will be paid over sixty-six times the annual salary of faculty members. Another report showed that between 1985 and 2010, average salaries for professors at public universities around the nation rose 32% while those of football coaches went up 650%. This sends a message to students and faculty that they are not valued and that athletics is more important than education. Indeed, athletic prowess rather than academics is the way many universities brand themselves.
In general, states that most strongly embrace school sports are the ones that fare worst academically. Supporters of university sports programs argue that they bring in money and provide positive publicity for the school. And indeed that’s the case for some institutions that consistently have winning records in the major sports. But not every university can be a winner and there are far more that lose money on athletics than those that are profitable. And building athletic powerhouses on a high school level makes no sense at all.
To prepare America for the “big game,” the culture at high schools and universities must be changed, with more focus on academics and less on sports. Consideration might be given to having sports teams separated from the schools and run as independent clubs with school affiliations. Having an Ivy League-like de-emphasis on athletics is another option. Sports-rabid alumni, however, are unlikely to agree to these kinds of changes.
America is in competition with nations where students are willing to put in long hours of study, and academic proficiency is lauded. Sports are fun but need to play second fiddle to academics if America is to thrive in the 21st century’s “big game.”
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
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