...And the Calvinball and 43-Man Squamish Budgets Are Frankly Bankrupting the School District...

Brian Doherty | May 13, 2009

A Tennessee public school teacher got paid $4,400 to coach soccer, a sport for which his school hadn't even fielded a team. The school superintendent says "the district may review its practice of paying coaches in advance."

[Hat tip: the stupendously useful Rational Review News.]

Comments

Ben|5.13.09 @ 2:42PM|#

Calvinball is very libertarian

Dr C|5.13.09 @ 2:43PM|#

Okay, I'll say it: we pay government teachers to educate, but we have plenty of proof that they're not doing that job, either.

Mister DNA|5.13.09 @ 2:44PM|#

For a website called "Rational Review"...

Morris\'s brother|5.13.09 @ 2:49PM|#

How about bonuses paid to CEOs of failing companies? Oh, never mind...

|5.13.09 @ 2:52PM|#

Hughley said he was unable to fill a schedule for the team, and had told school officials in March about the matter. He said he was willing to reimburse the school district.

Sorry. As much as I'd like to get outraged*, it looks like a bureaucratic SNAFU that nobody is trying to cash in on.

* Nobody at Hit and Run has more disdain for FUBARed public schools than I do. This doesn't even move the needle on the outrage meter.

Miss Littella|5.13.09 @ 2:55PM|#

Never mind.

tekende|5.13.09 @ 2:57PM|#

The school superintendent says "the district may review its practice of paying coaches in advance." "Meh."

FTFY

CALVIN_BALL!|5.13.09 @ 2:57PM|#

LETS PLAY!

|5.13.09 @ 2:59PM|#

Given that public school teacers make about $12K per summer not teaching kids, paying only $4.4K for not coaching soccer seems like a bargin.

|5.13.09 @ 3:15PM|#

I love Calvin Ball.

Warty|5.13.09 @ 3:16PM|#

Brendon: Why aren't you coaching?
Coach McGuirk: I'm letting Drew run the practice. That's what assistant coaches are for, running the practice.
Brendon: Yeah, I guess.
Coach McGuirk: Assistant coaches are also for doing my laundry.
Brendon: You know, the team really seems to like him.
Coach McGuirk: And getting me food...
Brendon: Right.
Coach McGuirk: Buying me lottery tickets...

The Angry Optimist|5.13.09 @ 3:18PM|#

even though you won't find a bigger hater of school teachers' incessant bitching and whining about everything, the trope about not getting paid for the summer is kind of dumb. They have the option of taking their check over the nine months or having it spread out over the whole twelve. The pay's the same (but still too goddamned high).

|5.13.09 @ 3:47PM|#

I'm still honked off that my high school didn't have a Moopsball squad.

Kevin

Kolohe|5.13.09 @ 3:48PM|#

Hey, if paying people not to grow crops is a part of agricultural policy, paying people not to coach kids should be a part of health care policy, right?

(also, what JsubD said)

|5.13.09 @ 4:31PM|#

Does this mean I was wrong to take that check for coaching the Welsley Men's basketball team next year?

ev|5.13.09 @ 4:40PM|#

the score is still Q to 12!

McGuirk: Alright. Who want's to go with Coach McGuirk to identify a body? Anybody?

Steve Smith|5.13.09 @ 4:41PM|#

I would be outraged if the school never intended to field a team. What appears to have been the case here was that a soccer team existed, but couldn't come up with a sufficient schedule to qualify for prep sports in that state. This may be a question of insufficient budgeting, not one of fraud.

creech|5.13.09 @ 4:47PM|#

What is "moopsball?" Something invented by the moops who conquered Spain?

Shannon Love|5.13.09 @ 5:55PM|#

My high school had both a Calvinball team and an improvisational jazz marching band. Friday nights were interesting.

|5.14.09 @ 7:47AM|#

I have no problem with CEO's of failing companies getting bonuses if the shareholders, through the board of directors, approve. It's not my money, it's theirs--unlike the situation with public schools.

Public schools should be abolished.