Steve Wise strikes again

From Svcathing Purple Musings

by Bob Sykes

You gotta hand it to Jacksonville republican Steve Wise for creativity. What better, stealth way could there be than to empower the private and charter schools he favors than to force state public schools sports teams to play them in a championship game every year. Seriously:

The Senate bill calls for annual championship competition matching FHSAA champions against SIAA champions in all sports. The House version has many of the same key points, including provisions that would allow private-school students to participate on teams at a public school.

Both prohibit the FHSAA from denying or discouraging regular-season competition between its 700-plus member schools and SIAA teams.

The FHSAA’s board of directors last year turned down an SIAA request for interleague play

How Wise got the usually more thoughtful Rep. Kelli Stargel to go along with a companion bill in the House is beyond me. Even some private school coaches don’t want this.

Deltona Trinity Christian athletic director Brian Soukup has stated his preference for formation of a separate private school league within the FHSAA.

“Sometimes as a private school, you feel like you get shorthanded, but I don’t think this is the change we’re looking for,” Soukup said. “Every rule the FHSAA has, I agree with 100 percent. There’s a reason those other schools went to that league [SIAA].

“We have no business in a league with those guys. We’re not going to be able to play with them.”

If private schools don’t want this, then why are Wise and Stargel writing legislation that nobody wants or sees a need for? No other reason exists except than to see this as the latest attempt by pols like Wise and Stargel to advance their education privatization agendas. The fact that they seek to do so through meddling into high school athletics makes one wonder what means are not beneath them.

http://bobsidlethoughtsandmusings.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/steve-wise-meddles-in-high-school-athletics-in-odd-attempt-to-empower-private-and-charter-schools/