Watch the video above (FF: 16:15) Two parents spoke to the school board tonight about the recent Title IX ruling.
They are accusing the SFSD of fudging the male sport participation numbers (making them appear lower) so they can get out of supporting gymnastics.
Basically the parents said the district is encouraging male athletes to NOT participate or to drop out of sports so their participation gets low enough to justify NOT having female gymnastics (According to Title IX):
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
They are basically accusing the district of fudging the numbers so they can circumvent the judge’s ruling.
If this is true, it is about the dirtiest pool I have ever seen a local governing body pull, and if I was this group of parents I would sue the district again for trying to circumvent a judge’s ruling, and I am sure if the judge hears about this in the news, he won’t be too happy.
NO SOUP FOR YOU!
This authoritarian approach by the district shouldn’t surprise us after they pulled this crap today;
Some Sioux Falls students may have to go without breakfast or lunch if their parents don’t fill out paperwork for free and reduced-cost meals… but it won’t happen for at least a few weeks. Thanks to donations, the district’s school meal debt will be paid off on Friday. But if the district doesn’t do something, administrators fear the debt will build again.
So after they get a large donation to pay off the debt, they decided they are going to stick it to the poor kids. Here’s the deal, it is NOT these kid’s fault they are born poor, you are NOT going to bleed water out of rock. I think every kid deserves a free breakfast and lunch if they can’t afford it with no shame.
I have often agreed with this cliche, “Showing up is half the battle.” and if these kids are at least showing up to school, this is an opportunity for the district to make sure they have full tummies also so they can learn.
While the district spends millions each year on athletics, they can’t seem to figure out that kids need brain fuel to excel in their academics.
LINCOLN PARK TIMELINE
Also during public input tonight several lawmakers spoke on the creation of Lincoln Park. One of the commenters was SF City Councilor Greg Neitzert (FF: 22:30). He gave a great timeline of correspondence between him and the district and the mayor’s office. He basically said everything went dead silent in February.
Let’s just say there is mountains of evidence that the SFSD was playing Joker Poker with the mayor’s office in trying to put in an affordable housing project in that space, and once they were caught they clammed up.
So I guess the District’s new motto is;
Screw Lunch.
The Heck with Gymnastics.
What Parks?
Seems like a very scholary thing to say.
It’s my understanding – from a very good source – that a major part of the problem is that too many parents don’t fill out the paperwork for free lunches. So, this is the way to get them to do it…. But given the high truancy rates we have in our schools now days this doesn’t really surprise me either….
Watch the school board meetings. They are as bad if not worse than the city council. No debate or serious discussion. The school board and city council are in a race for the biggest rubber stamp award.
Councilor Nietzert is the only one who does anything between the two groups. All the others simply do what they are told or are completely incompetent.
Why do we elect all these people to do nothing?
Does Sioux Falls have a deep state? Perhaps, and if only we could all be invited to their “High Tea Parties”….
Involved Citizen raised a great point, and is one reason I have championed to add city districts to the city council, and to have an odd numbered council + the mayor. If we were to add 2 districts, giving us a total of 7, and were to apportion then as such: NW, NE, SW, SE, Downtown-Business, Central East, Central West plus at least 2 At-Large giving us a 9 member odd numbered council, then that decreases the population per each district to 32,000 residents, and ‘we’ have the tie-breaking vote in the hands of the districts, not the mayor (sepaparation). The goal is to engage with the people more often, but with more “council members” the harder it is for the “city government” to ramrod things through the governing body.
As for the second part, does the City of Sioux Falls have a “Deep State” – that would come down to how you define “Deep State”. IF, compared to the federal government, the deep state would be your “Agencies” and Non-Elected Directors who remain in their ‘chairs’ for years, and years with no accountability. But, then again the real power is held by “Landowners” and the “property holders” of who hold large acres of land in the amount of 80, 120, 160, 320 acres total. You legally cannot do anything without talking to them first, and if they are NOT willing to develop their land, let alone agree with you on a paritcular issue, the city government is at a stalemate.
If Scott is ok with it, I wrote the following piece explaining what the Beaurcracy is and how the city government operates today.
https://www.siouxfallscommunitychronicle.com/power-behind-a-city
Now, tell me more about this “Beaurcracy”… Is this something that was started by a late Biden, or a dandy man? And what about the “”Deep State'” relative to a Deep Throat? AND, a course let’s not forget the “High Tea Parties” either, while we are at it, and do the “Agencies” always deliver and on time?…. Oh, and any chance that “Patented Lands” are involved in this, too?…. But this “Beaurcracy” thing definitely intrigues me…. I definitely need to know more….