Boys Pitted Against Girls At East Tennessee Elementary School Track And Field Event
Image Credit: David Seal
By David Seal [Special to The Tennessee Conservative] –
Parents noticed something a little different at the recent track and field event at New Market Elementary School in Jefferson County. For decades the annual event has been a favorite of parents, students, and teachers to end the school year on a positive note. However, in at least two of the sports, namely softball throw and 50-yard sprint, parents report that boys were pitted against girls.
Some parents were not pleased.
In preparation for this report, the school administration was questioned on behalf of concerned parents that requested anonymity, as to why the decision was made to have boys and girls compete against each other and who was responsible for making the decision.
Parents in Jefferson County occasionally contact third parties to make inquiries to school officials because they fear retribution against their children. School system employees do the same for fear of losing their job.
After a second inquiry and follow-up, the director of Jefferson County Schools provided the following response indicating that he would not deal with a third-party inquiry.
“Administrators and supervisors are available for any concerns parents and stakeholders may have. We will call back or email anyone in 24 hours or less. We are available to schedule meetings to sit down and discuss concerns. I am not going through you to deliver our message to parents who have concerns. The below mentioned concerns of parents can be addressed with Mrs. Rogers the principal at New Market Elementary. Feel free to advise any future parents to reach out directly to the Central Office or the individual school for help, support, or information.” – Dr. Tommy Arnold, Director of Jefferson County Schools
Principal Angie Rogers assumed responsibility for all activities at New Market Elementary School as evidenced by the statement below.
However, the parents’ original question as to why boys were pitted against girls in track activities remains unanswered from the original inquiry to school administrators.
Before the New Market track and field incident, at least 835 students were being held out of the Jefferson County School System this school year by their parents for homeschool and private school options. That number is growing system-wide.
As one Jefferson County parent put it “I am tired of being fearful of asking a simple question. My kids are getting pulled out of Jefferson County Schools.”
Public and private schools, as well as universities, operate in a new controversial environment in which biological males are allowed to compete in female sports. The issue of fairness is at the forefront of this trend.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level.
“…any concerns parents and stakeholders may have.”
The financial stakeholders called taxpayers are rarely considered stakeholders by the government school system. Just shut up and give us (more of) your money. In their world, “stakeholders” are themselves, their labor unions and their state/federal overlords.
Having said that, it’s an end of the year field day for pre-pubescent children, not a track and field meet. Not a HS boy competing against the HS girls track team. It’s organized PE day, but as a retired government school educator I’m fairly sure you know that. There are soccer orgs in the East Tn area with co-ed teams in the elementary years. I don’t think you’ll get much traction on this one.
Your points are well taken except for the fact parents are treated like mushrooms by school systems nationwide. When I hear a ten year old come home from “school” spouting political opinions expressed by a teacher or in this case a sporting event for grammar school kids that happens with no explanation to the parents, it angers me as a taxpayer because if I attend a school board meeting I have no standing. Parents are fed up and taxpayers are getting that way about the high handed actions of the system. We’re tired of being told a kid can lie to his or her parents about pronouns used in school and a myriad of other things that crop up almost daily. Much of the problem is the systems attitude of superiority that says we do what we do and shut up about it. Just because things change, it doesn’t mean that change is better or even acceptable.
Dr Tom Arnold and Principal Angie Rogers need to be tar and feathered and run out of Jefferson County.
David’s question as a taxpayer, third party or not, in this county deserves a direct response.
We need new leadership in the schools and school board. Vote for Paul Hardy and Dawn Mayer for Jefferson County school board
I remember during grade school Field Day over sixty years ago in Nashville, we often pitted girls against the boys and vice versa without any incident. We just accepted it as common recess procedures for grade school children. So, why the fuss? It’s mostly a vocal minority of right-wing extremists whose REAL desire is to destroy Tennessee’s public school systems with so-called charter schools that steal tax-payer money to send rich kids to charter schools by stealing money meant for middle- and low-income families. Except that this money give-away by itself is insufficient to pay a child’s tuition. It’s a racket.