Board of Education to consider boxing out electives and sacking the state's educational standards

Texas' State Board of Education is considering lowering its educational standards by enacting a plan that would allow athletics such as football, basketball, or baseball to count as the two and a half minimum elective credits required to graduate from any accredited state high school.

Coach Craig Agnew of Brenham petitioned for this plan to be considered, and it will be up for a final vote in Jan. of the New Year.

Coach Agnew has made the case that other extra-curricular activities such as theater, dance, and band already allow high school students to meet the two and a half elective credit requirements, so why can't athletics be included within this group of activities?

Currently, a minimum of one and a half physical education credits are required for high school students to graduate, and those students engaged in extra-curricular sports activities usually satisfy the requirement through athletics.

Within every graduation plan, the state also requires at least two and a half elective courses to be satisfied by electives of the student's choosing. As of now, one credit equals one year of class in Texas high schools.

To allow high school athletics to go toward elective credits would be a drastic mistake by the board, and would limit the youths participating in those athletics options, and their exposure to realistic future fields and careers.

A majority of athletes, while coming of age, dreamed of playing at a higher level, but according to the NCAA (National Collegiate Association of Athletics) only 5.7 percent of high school football players make it to the collegiate level, 6.1 percent of high school baseball players step on a college diamond, and 3.3 percent of high school women basketball players go on to make a college team.

Making a professional career out of athletics straight from high school is even a tinier pond; 0.03 percent of high school men basketball players will get a chance to play professionally, 0.08 percent of high school football players will go pro, and 0.45 percent of high school baseball players will grace the inside of a professional stadium.

Obviously, not every coach expects his or her star athlete to play professionally, and every gifted athlete doesn't expect to obtain the exclusive status of pro-athlete.

Public high school is available to instill and exercise certain general skills, and to introduce students to and offer them exclusive experiences that could lead to an individual entering into a professional career of some sort.

Dreams and aspirations are necessary to progress, innovate, and continue to have a desire for enhancement physically and mentally, but strictly focusing on athletics as a potential career option is not realistic.

If schools want to allow this plan to be enacted, other facets of athletics need to be focused on.

Sports medicine introductory classes, coaching, and marketing classes should also be included as an option in the curriculum as other more accessible careers within the athletics field.

Texas does not have the funding or manpower to create such far-reaching programs as those listed, but they would be more useful and realistic skills.

If this plan is enacted, it will drastically set back the already low amount of high school students that go on to graduate college, and this plan will open the door for any extra-curricular activity leaders that draw up a significant petition to sway the educational standards of the whole state.

What's next, four years of high school credit for chess club?