Are you so naive? The school gets so much of our taxpayer dollars as it is and most of it goes right into the pockets of its employees (pension etc.). That's what the building is - A place to house students so seat polishing parasites can financially feed off of taxpayer dollars. Tenure is absolute nonsense. Its the cause of this albatross wrapped around taxpayer's neck. That's right like 'Howard Beale' I'm mad as hell and not going to take this anymore. Educators don't need pensions.
goodoldrebel wrote:
I guess I hit a nerve. Did you just fall off a cabbage truck or do you not know anything about our dumbed down education system? Some of us are tired of having those seat polishers sucking up all these tax dollars. 80% + of all the school budgets are for salaries.
They should be lucky they have such a cushy job with time off all summer and lots of breaks during the school year. Been there done that for 35 years (half of it in an urban environment) and was still the only one who crossed a picket line. Police, fireman, military personnel deserve pensions, not school employees.
You didn't hit a nerve, I was just trying to figure out why you have such an intense hatred for the educators in our society.
goodoldrebel wrote:
Are you so naive? The school gets so much of our taxpayer dollars as it is and most of it goes right into the pockets of its employees (pension etc.). That's what the building is - A place to house students so seat polishing parasites can financially feed off of taxpayer dollars. Tenure is absolute nonsense. Its the cause of this albatross wrapped around taxpayer's neck. That's right like 'Howard Beale' I'm mad as hell and not going to take this anymore. Educators don't need pensions.
high jack threads much?
Those damn highly paid teaches with their low to mid 5 figure salaries!! I tell you, the way to improve our education system is to pay teachers less. That way we'll attract really smart people to the profession.
My neighbor coaches at a high school. They have had to close to the public because the "public" soccer games were getting out of control. In the evenings and on weekends they were literally getting overrun with soccer (or more accurately fútbol) players and spectators. You had the pupusa and taco trucks parked out front, beer bottles and trash everywhere in the aftermath, etc.
So here is what you should do:
1. Ask permission. This way you know up front.
2. Be courteous to people who, by your own admission, are in the right even if you feel they are being overbearing. Just leave if they ask you to if they, as you noted, have the right to do so.
3. If you want to find out if they have the right, maybe do so after the incident (research joint use agreements, public access, etc ...)
There are many reasons why a facility might want to restrict access. Liability, maintainance costs, etc, that have not been covered by the unofficial user are significant enough reasons for an institution to wish to restrict access.
Unfortunately, the reactions of a few people who are stubborn when asked to leave changes the general tone that grounds people will use for everyone. If people were more respectful as a rule when this occurred then the manner in which people might be asked to leave might be pleasant.
You bought into the mindless rationale. What you get in the public schools are misfits who can't get a job in private industry and want to buffer themselves from the economy. High salary does not equal better quality.
All you attract is the lame ducks who have little to offer the outside world. I've seen it from the inside. So much incompetent dead wood who do not even know the subject matter that they are teaching and are learning it along with the students. Administrators who hide and hope they can keep on sucking dry taxpayer dollars by doing nothing and laying low.
Its all just a convoluted jerkwater system prioritizing salaries over education. A true educator doesn't give a sh*t about the money. They are there to positively impact the lives of a student by imparting a body of knowledge. The problem is most administrators and teachers have little knowledge and limited life experience and would not be able to compete in the outside world.
These steaming piles of dog sh*t should not be the role models for our impressionable youth. Cut the tenure crap and then see who is truly committed to being an educator. instead of being only motivated by greed.
Soccer is a sport for the gay-a** europeans. It attracts all the vicarious fans and soccer mom types and is truly a nonsense activity. What rationale being wants to hit a ball with his head and cannot use his hands. Just the epitome of mindlessness. Those pansies playing soccer wouldn't last 5 seconds in the NFL.
hahaha post of the week for sure!
pinellascountysucks wrote:
In all of Pinellas county, FL (pop. ~1 million) there are only 2 rubber surface tracks in the whole county. One at a private school and one at a public school. I have sought permission at both as well as many of the other asphalt tracks. Every single facility is locked up and has no trespassing signs posted.
The irony of it all is that there is a really strong running community here. It just doesn't make sense. I think it's the responsibility of the HS track coaches to be a liaison to the running community. Most of the dedicated runners in the community can serve as role models for continuing to run beyond school athletics.
I assume one is Calvary Christian HS. I wouldn't let anyone in that facility without a chaperone either.
Which is the other one?
It's pretty plain why schools would close their facilities when not in use...at least to me. Runners look at themselves as the only example of the type of person who'd use the facilities. Unfortunately....more than runners will "use" the facility. That's where the problem lies. It puts the school or school district in a position of deciding who will and who won't use it....potentially leading to all sorts of problems. That's before we even approach liability.
I'm a serial track pirate. Maybe been asked to leave once or twice, so I leave. Hundreds of workouts and time trials under my brazen pirate belt. No regrets. No apologies. You don't go during school hours, games or official use.
I used to do track workouts at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA on my lunch break during scool hours.
High school coach here, I found a used condom on our football field yesterday.
My favorite is that I can't use the Capital University track in central Ohio because the school has to keep track of the number of hours the track and football field are used so that they don't go over a set number of hours in a year or their usage insurance policy on these facilities will be broken. It's only a 3 lane track and not even 400 meters long. Get real!!!
Have used tons of high school and college, both private and public tracks in my life, all over the country, and never had any problems. Occasionally they will be locked and I will hop the fence and do the workouts anyway. Never been approached by cops or school officials. Even brought my dog and bicycle sometimes. :)
I love how the same people that complain about kids today acting like they are entitled to anything they want for free, thinking that they are entitled to use school facilities anytime they want for free.
You could fall and hurt yourself, thus setting up an expensive tort case (even if they prevail). The fact that you say you won't sue doesn't mean you won't. OR You could damage the facility. The fact that you probably won't doesn't mean that you couldn't. OR You could steal something. OR Even if you didn't do any of these things, someone else might.
That leaves four choices as I see it:
(1) Anyone can use the facility and we hope we don't get sued, (2) Nobody can use the facility and that way we won't get sued, (3) Groundskeeper uses his powers of judgment to discern who gets to use it, leading to arguments and potential litigation, or (4) Groundskeeper carries around releases, and you'll need to sign one before you get to use the facility... and then he sits there the whole time to make sure you don't steal anything.
OK, you're the school board. Which is going to be the easiest choice?
Sorry, I've been in education too long. I know how they think.
Trtooer wrote:
I love how the same people that complain about kids today acting like they are entitled to anything they want for free, thinking that they are entitled to use school facilities anytime they want for free.
Why are you assuming these are the same people? I know I don't complain about "entitled" kids.
Also, assuming you pay taxes, it's not exactly like you're asking to use them for free.
conformist slave wrote:
I've paid so much in property tax in the last 20 years, I'm pretty sure I built our track! Makes me kind of mad when they shut the gates after school, or act like you are trespassing if you use it when they are open.
I'm currently involved ina fundraising effort to build a new track. I'm pretty certain unless you're paying at least $40,000 in town taxes a year that you paid for your track.
But your point is valid. As a taxpayer you should have access to the facility. In our town we are selling it to the entire community as something that should be available to everyone.
WalterWhite wrote:
I can not believe that you guys don't see the side of the schools in this.
They have to beg to get funding to resurface a track, or build a track. Then if they leave it open and it's vandalized the public screams about the repairs.
And you can't assume that all adults are there for good reasons either. Some people look for reasons to sue. They make a small living off of "trip & falls".
Aren't some of you track coaches that worry about your facility being open to any jerk off the street?
yeah....my school's track is a sh/thole, so no one bothers to use it much. We don't have stands or a fence. It's just gravel with a post at the start.