WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – The West Virginia Schools Athletic Coaches Association has released a statement opposing “The Tim Tebow Act”.
The association released the following statement:
“Legislative Leadership:
The Executive Committee of the WVSACA opposes SB 131 ‘The Tim Tebow Act.’ The WVSACA joins the WVSSAC in opposition of HB 3127. We are concerned that ‘Tebow Students’ do not have to maintain the same academics or follow the same procedures that member school students do. We believe it is unfair for team members to be on a team that does not follow the same procedures and regulations on a daily basis.
We believe that students who participate in WVSSAC extracurricular activities should attend the school for which they play. The students who participate for WVSSAC member schools have to achieve a minimum grade point average that is not arbitrary. Students who are not in our member schools do not always use letter grades to prove academic qualifications. Member school students have to adhere to a behavior code and a strict school day schedule. Students who are not in a member school do not have to adhere to the same policies during the day.
The WVSACA is concerned about the body of work turned in to the member schools for academic qualification. What safeguards are in place against academic fraud? In the public school, most of the graded evaluations take place in the classroom under the supervision of a teacher. Another academic issue is the standardized test that home school students could take. The WVDE requires our students to take the SAT. Would the home school students be allowed to pick their standardized test, or would they be required to take what the WVDE has adopted?
Finally, the ‘Tebow Act’ can open the door for students who do not like school to go on to a home school program. We do not have a clear way to handle academic eligibility. We could be opening up all extracurricular activities to fraud and allowing extra burdens on school administration to determine eligibility.
Yours in Education,
The Executive Committee of the WVSACA
Jodi Mote, Daran Hays, Jamie Tallman, Justin Hensley, Ralph Hensley, Wes Eddy, Ross Robinson, Charles Maynard, Brad Dingess, John Kelley, Mark Montgomery, and Robert Mullett”