Message for who runs this website

[shaman]

shaman: Yes I'm saying that teachers in private schools indeed have better "raw material" to work with when considering the learning ability of their students. Go ask your wife something for me. Is it easier to teach biology to average students, or is it easier to teach honors biology to honor students? She'll tell you that even though the courses are harder, it's easier to teach honor students. So in private schools, where the "raw material" is better, teaching is easier. Common sense, right ? So don't give us this "We, at BC, have better teachers and our students learn more than those in public schools". It just doesn't wash.

First of all it’s not “we” I worked in public schools including training Forest Hills teachers and supervising programs that included Forest Hills students. Comprende?

Second, I said that for both teachers and students is a matter school climate. I was in public education for 35 years and if you want to get into a discussion about that, feel free.

Third, where did I say that teachers at BC were better? My post is up there; feel free to quote where I said that.

Last, you have opened a can of worms here: maybe there is something to why the Bishops are successful. You said it, not me. Care to expand on this better “raw material” business?

[El-Moldo]

Do students have to APPLY to BC? Can they be turned down? That's a starter. And where's the wife's answer to my question?

[El-Moldo]

And what about the old, "The percentage of teachers with Master's Degrees at BC is equal to or HIGHER than most schools in the area". So what is THAT supposed to mean? Are you saying that these teachers with master's degrees are not BETTER than other teachers??? If it doesn't meant that, then WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF SAYING THAT????? Was that just a little fluff, to make things seem better than they are????

[shaman]

Do students have to APPLY to BC? Can they be turned down? That's a starter. And where's the wife's answer to my question?

Those are questions that Tim Lucko will have to answer. My wife was a teacher not an administrator. I would assume that they have to apply and can be turned down, but given their numbers, I am not aware of too many students that have been turned down. BC expended a huge amount of time, energy and effort to build an international student’s program to attract students from foreign countries to live and study at BC. (And no: none of them play football that I am aware of, and no Yao Mings either.) They need students in order to survive; they don’t like to lose students either. It takes a lot to get thrown out of BC.

As far as your question about "easy" teaching: I don’t know of too many people who get into teaching solely because they thought that it would be “easy”. Most people who teach went into it thinking that they could make a difference in student’s lives. When kids participate in class and successfully comprehend what is going on, most teachers are happy. When they go to school day after day to face indifferent kids who could care less or are actively disruptive they typically get discouraged. When the climate of the school doesn’t change over time, they suffer from burnout.

So is it “easier” to teach at BC? I don’t know, I never taught there but I know a number of BC teachers and they appear to like the kids and like the program. So maybe that’s one of the perks that makes up for the whole lack of money thing. Not everyone gets a job based solely on whether it is going to be “easy” or because it makes lots of money. Job satisfaction is the main thing that keeps people happy and productive at work. For teachers having students that want to learn is a big part of job satisfaction.

And to anticipate your follow on argument: sure there are plenty of public school teachers who are satisfied in their jobs.

[shaman]

And what about the old, "The percentage of teachers with Master's Degrees at BC is equal to or HIGHER than most schools in the area". So what is THAT supposed to mean? Are you saying that these teachers with master's degrees are not BETTER than other teachers??? If it doesn't meant that, then WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF SAYING THAT????? Was that just a little fluff, to make things seem better than they are????

It means what it means. There are a lot of people teaching at BC with master's degrees, you can take it any way that you like. It is in response to the argument that I hear all the time: Private schools have an inferior education because they can't afford to pay their teachers. My response to that is that there are lots of good teachers at BC.

Look, I know your teachers. I have trained teachers and/or observed classes in just about every school in Cambra, Bedford, Blair, and Somerset counties with the exception of Salisbury Elklick and Turkeyfoot. I've seen great teachers and I've seen burnouts that were so pathetic that I wouldn't want them teaching my dog. My point is that BC teachers are no different and certainly no worse. They do their jobs, they educate kids. And that old canard that they are somehow "inferior" just doesn't wash.

[say_oww]

IThe problem posed by PRIVATE SCHOOLS in the current PIAA ENROLLMENT-BASED PLAYOFF FORMAT is that the SUCCESSFUL private schools are essentially sports factories. (Yes, there are some private schools that stink.) And whether they recruit or not (???) many of the parents WHOSE CHILDREN PLAY SPORTS send them there so they can be a part of that program.

I said SPORTS FACTORIES. In addition to football, just take a look at BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL and HOCKEY.

75% of all teams in the A and AA Boys and Girls Basketbal Championships since 2000 have been PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS have won 39 of 44 PIAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS since 2000.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS have also won 50% of all A and AA STATE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS since 1982 as well.

Definitely a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. Single A Public Schools don't even have a chance!!!

[shaman]

I said SPORTS FACTORIES. In addition to football, just take a look at BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL and HOCKEY.

75% of all teams in the A and AA Boys and Girls Basketbal Championships since 2000 have been PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS have won 39 of 44 PIAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS since 2000.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS have also won 50% of all A and AA STATE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS since 1982 as well.

Definitely a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. Single A Public Schools don't even have a chance!!!

First of all this is the Football section of this message board so if you have a problem with basketball take it to the basketball section. And for the record: I agree with you on Basketball, private schools do win a disproportionate share, although Rod Frisco claims that the extremely well developed and active CYO basketball leagues may have something to do with it.

Second, based on who gets to and who wins the championship in A and AA football, I am not seeing any advantage to private schools at all.

Finally are you saying that Southern Columbia, Jeanette, and Mt. Carmel are not sports factories?

[usatf oldguy]

Most consider it a private school since it is a correctional,but we are splitting hairs I guess.Actually the numbers on the district 6 championships were up on here not long ago with the privates making the title game about 80% of the time.

I dunno, I don't consider $8.5 million of our tax dollars to be "splitting hairs"

Forest Hills and Tyrone make it 80% of the time as well, and Bellwood isn't too shabby either. This district has been dominated by a few teams for at least the last 10 years.

Ultimately, both Carroll and McCort to this point anyway, always end up losing to a public school.

Scotland is a private my friend they have no boundaries, they accept correctional kids only.Its not like they have a set district!

[woninthetrenches]

Most consider it a private school since it is a correctional,but we are splitting hairs I guess.Actually the numbers on the district 6 championships were up on here not long ago with the privates making the title game about 80% of the time.

I dunno, I don't consider $8.5 million of our tax dollars to be "splitting hairs"

Forest Hills and Tyrone make it 80% of the time as well, and Bellwood isn't too shabby either. This district has been dominated by a few teams for at least the last 10 years.

Ultimately, both Carroll and McCort to this point anyway, always end up losing to a public school.

Scotland is a private my friend they have no boundaries, they accept correctional kids only.Its not like they have a set district!

So anyone can transfer there?

[Manfred]

Someone may correct me if I'm wrong, but I was always under the assumption that SCOTLAND School was a private school for children of MILITARY families. With nearby Letterkenny Depot and the Carlisle Military College, military folks wanted their kids to have the private education just like a BC or BM or BG. Where did this "correctional" institute stuff come in? This wasn't Glen Mills or George Jr. Republic.