Keep The Policy, Put Learning First No Pass, No Play Cut Kids From Extras If They Fail The Essentials

A year ago Spokane School District 81 crafted a reasonable policy that keeps extracurricular activities in proper focus: If you want to play in this week’s basketball game or sing in the concert, you have to be doing passing work in all your classes.

To some people, asking students who represent their schools in public activities not to be flunking academic work is too demanding. They want the district to abandon its stand.

Without such outlets as sports and music, say the critics, certain kids have no reason to stay in school, and that justifies allowances. Oddly, the theorists who extol extracurricular participation as dropout prevention are not as willing to overlook athletic shortcomings as academic deficiencies. The boy who’s dying to play basketball but can’t dribble gets dropped during tryouts even if making the team would cement his attachment to school.

But if Ernie is failing algebra and Coach needs him at point guard, hey, when was the last time you had to factor a binomial equation anyway?

The incentive notion is valid, but it should serve a higher purpose than just getting kids to fill seats.

That’s precisely why District 81’s policy should be retained. It gives parents, teachers and coaches added leverage to encourage struggling students to apply themselves more intently.

Bear in mind, the no-pass, no-play policy considers only current class work - work a student can still do something about.

Last semester’s F in history is itself history. It won’t keep a student out of extracurricular participation as long as current work meets minimum standards. If that current work drops below passing, however, and playing quarterback or tuba is important, the student knows what needs to be done.

Public education is under attack from those who say standards are too low as well as those who worry that high expectations are unrealistic for students with “alternative learning styles.” Against that push-pull background, education-reform drives have put pressure on districts such as Spokane to raise test scores, reach essential learning goals and prepare students to obtain certificates of mastery.

Extracurricular activity is part of a well-rounded education, and for reasons that go beyond incentive value. But there’s a reason it’s called extra curricular. It should be used to enhance scholastic success rather than to excuse failure.