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Skipped gym class costs student diploma
Times Leader/AP Wire ^ | 5/8/2005

Posted on 05/08/2005 6:47:15 PM PDT by Born Conservative

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To: Born Conservative

Back in the day when I was in high school (a year ago, thank you), Physical Education was a requirement for 3 of the 4 years, but in Junior year I was allowed to substitute a fine arts class for it, meaning I only took gym every other day for 2 years.

I hated every minute of it and it helped me very little in my everyday life, but we all had to go through it. There are set requirements to get a diploma, and knowing those requirements, this girl could have spoken to an academic dean or something and gotten that ironed out somehow.

Then again, she played varsity sports. My school USED TO allow varsity athletes to not have to take gym classes, and I still think it's a great idea that they did away with (not that I was one).

As much as I want to sympathize, she had an array of options and she knew the class was required, but chose personal interest electives over a mandatory course. I wonder what will happen if she gets to college and forsakes a core class or two because it isn't on her "priority list." She has to take some responsibility for this occurrance.


41 posted on 05/08/2005 7:10:35 PM PDT by GiveEmDubya
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To: Born Conservative

Having a GED will not hold her back at all.

My son skipped high school and took community college classes instead, so he'll have enough credits for his AA before the end of his high school years, but no diploma.

Solution, is to take the GED, at that point, and then they'll award him his AA.

I've spoken with the University he's transfering to and they said they couldn't care less whether he has a diploma or GED.


42 posted on 05/08/2005 7:11:23 PM PDT by dawn53
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To: freebilly
There you go. Freedom to fail. Is this a great country or what? I'm a successful business person. But I never failed at business. I've failed at other things though. But getting a highschool diploma wasn't one of them.

Like I said.. I'm sure she's smarter than all the educators and everybody else. Right....

43 posted on 05/08/2005 7:11:35 PM PDT by kjam22
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To: Born Conservative
You know what they say... Never let good common sense get in the way of policy and procedure.
44 posted on 05/08/2005 7:11:43 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: Born Conservative
Congratulations young Lady. Many people receive a diploma but few are educated. You should be proud of your achievements. Only a few high school students reach the level of calculus.
45 posted on 05/08/2005 7:11:54 PM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: CzarNicky

"gym is a worthless class"

Physical fitness has no place in public education.


46 posted on 05/08/2005 7:13:43 PM PDT by Rebelbase (The Republican Party is the France of politics--Lazamataz)
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To: kjam22
I've failed at other things though. But getting a highschool diploma wasn't one of them.

She got something better than a diploma. She got an education. Any idiot in an American HS can get a worthless piece of paper....

47 posted on 05/08/2005 7:14:35 PM PDT by freebilly (Go Santa Cruz Baseball!)
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To: Rebelbase
I agree. It is an issue that is best handled in the private sector not that gym class has anything to do with physical fitness.
48 posted on 05/08/2005 7:15:15 PM PDT by CzarNicky (The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
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To: kjam22

Spoken like a true sheep.

A public school is NOT an employer to this student. To blindly follow the dictates of the publik screwl bureaucrats, to your own detriment, is foolish in the extreme.

I'll bet this young lady knows the difference between bullsqueeze and job duties.


49 posted on 05/08/2005 7:15:24 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: kjam22
Better to be the masters #1 in charge

I believe the job description is "Designated Scapegoat"

50 posted on 05/08/2005 7:15:28 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (This isn't your Founding Father's Free Republic any more)
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To: Kirkwood
"Wow. Your life must suck."

I never find this to be a very convincing argument regarding anything. Lefties use this a lot: "It must suck to be you." It's an empty, snotty thing to say to anyone, IMO.

51 posted on 05/08/2005 7:16:56 PM PDT by Irene Adler
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To: freebilly
The only ones that can get the worthless piece of paper are the ones who have learned how to follow the rules and play the system for what it is. I still contend that in the long run... learning that is more important for the average person than AP Biology. That's just my opinion, and I'm sure I'm in the minority with it.
52 posted on 05/08/2005 7:17:18 PM PDT by kjam22
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To: kjam22

"You do what you're suppose to do to "make the grade". Learning that is more valuable than AP Biology."

Personally I think a little "questioning authority" can be a good thing. I speak from experience -- my daughter was in a similar situation when she had to withdraw from P.E. due to an unexpected need for jaw surgery, thereby not only losing almost a quarter of P.E. time she'd already put in (the school refused to give her any credit and wouldn't work out an alternative she could do, like a walking program), but the H.S. wanted her to skip an AP college track class later on to make up the P.E. Suffice it to say, sometimes the bureaucratic intransigence can be very frustrating and needs shaking up. In our case, we finally "negotiated" a "settlement" whereby they granted her the disposition to take an extra period for a semester so she could take both the P.E. and the AP class (it was like pulling teeth to get them to agree).

In this case, it sounds like the student decided that what she would learn in the AP Biology class was more valuable to her, and to her prospective colleges, than a semester of P.E. Yes, learning to "play the game" is important -- we've all done that at times in our lives, I'm sure -- but so is learning to weigh one's options, think critically, and evaluate a course of action that will provide the best life experience, even if it's "outside the box" and goes against the bureaucratic "rules."


53 posted on 05/08/2005 7:17:20 PM PDT by GOPrincess
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To: kjam22
But all of life is about dumb rules drawn up by somebody else. Learning that at 17 is better than learning it at 45. Her mom didn't do her any favors. You do what you're suppose to do to "make the grade". Learning that is more valuable than AP Biology.

I was wrong, deacon. You aren't a sheep, you're a fool.

54 posted on 05/08/2005 7:17:49 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: clee1
I'll bet this young lady knows the difference between bullsqueeze and job duties.

I'd bet she doesn't. I'd bet she's been raised by parents who told her all her life.... "you don't have to do that princess if you don't want to"

I'd bet she has some real awakenings waiting ahead of her.

55 posted on 05/08/2005 7:19:18 PM PDT by kjam22
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To: clee1

Does my being a Deacon bother you?


56 posted on 05/08/2005 7:19:48 PM PDT by kjam22
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To: Born Conservative

Doesn't even sound like it is a gym class but this Building Essential Skills for Tomorrow - probably is a PE credit.

Sounds like one of those dumbing down classes. They probably tote the egg around, learn how to balance a checkbook, flip off the man, etc.


57 posted on 05/08/2005 7:19:59 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (In God We Trust. All Others We Monitor.)
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To: GiveEmDubya

Here's what I don't understand about the argument on this string: it would make sense to insist on following the rules if she actually HAD to follow them, and was whining because she didn't, and then got spanked. But her college actually didn't care, and didn't insist on the diploma, so in the end she didn't suffer for taking bio instead of gym. Given that, what's the point of insisting on following the rule when it wasn't even required by what turns out to be "the system" -- namely the college she's going to? I'm all for rules when they're necessary, perhaps even if they may be dumb, but I hate having to follow them when they're BOTH dumb AND it's not even necessary. That seems the case here.


58 posted on 05/08/2005 7:20:19 PM PDT by JOHN ADAMS
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To: kjam22
The only ones that can get the worthless piece of paper are the ones who have learned how to follow the rules and play the system for what it is. I still contend that in the long run... learning that is more important for the average person than AP Biology.

Well, there you have it....

59 posted on 05/08/2005 7:20:31 PM PDT by freebilly (Go Santa Cruz Baseball!)
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To: Kirkwood; kjam22
"But all of life is about dumb rules drawn up by somebody else. Learning that at 17 is better than learning it at 45. Her mom didn't do her any favors. You do what you're suppose to do to "make the grade". Learning that is more valuable than AP Biology." Wow. Your life must suck.

I agree. After reading all of kjam's post's - a person with that attitude would not last ONE day in my company (no, not mine).

Lot's of "free spirits" out there that think the rules are meant for the 'lessor' ones, can't possibly apply to me.

Then reality rudely interupts with a smack 'long side the head........

YOU ARE FIRED!

Best of luck to this kid.

My bet is that she will end up a professor at some 'extinguished' lib / rat hole "higher" institute of learning.

Or a politician.

LVM

60 posted on 05/08/2005 7:21:19 PM PDT by LasVegasMac ("God. Guts. Guns. I don't call 911." (bumper sticker))
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