Former Fort Wayne educator Eugene White has had his ups and downs as superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools. This could probably be considered a down period, since parents at three high schools want his head on a platter:
Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White said Tuesday there is no chance he will reverse his decision to cancel football at three high schools, despite protests from dozens of angry community members at that night's School Board meeting.
[. . .]
White has decided to close the football programs at Manual, Marshall and Washington high schools, citing the low number of students on the teams.
My initital reaction was probably the same as a lot of others -- all that passion expended for football? Wouldn't it be great if parents got that worked up over the actual education mission. (As one commenter to the story put it, "When money is tight, and participation is low, sports need to be cut. Not every situation is a Disney movie where some humble, underpaid coach comes in a saves a crumbling urban sports team from demise.")
But I also understand the feelings of the parents and students who say that athletics contribute to the school spirit (boy, there's an old-fashioned concept for you) that can keep students engaged, maybe even preventing some from dropping out. Tough call.
