Kids get out of school for Nascar Racing

[cynatnite]

I live in Kingsport which is about 20 minutes from Bristol, TN. The Nascar race is this weekend and they are letting the Kingsport kids go to school only half a day for this.

Bristol Schools, I can understand. We've driven through there on race weekend and it is a mad house with traffic and people packing the town. On race weekend, the population swells by almost 100,000.

In the years I've lived in Kingsport, you can barely tell. There are people driving their motor homes and pickups coming through. Some do stay here rather than fight for parking in Bristol.

In my mind, there is no excuse for the Kingsport Schools to let kids out for a race. Maybe some of the schools in the larger cities let their kids out for football games? How about it Chicago? Basketball? Okay, if not that...what about Super Bowl weekend? Do they let schools out for half a day on the friday before?

Sounds stupid, doesn't it?

This just pisses me off. It sends a message that Nascar racing is more important than our kids' education.

I'm working on a letter :)

[tabasco]

1. Don't worry, the kids will be able to get a job at the Toyota plant.

Oh, never mind! Toyota moved to Canada because Americans are too dumb!

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Toyota is building a plant here in San Antonio

Should be open sometime in '06. Guess we lucked out.

[tabasco]

11. Y'all are either smarter than the average American ...

(or they're going to use robots!)

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html

[losdiablosgato]

2. WhenI was in High school 1/4 of the student body was absent

On the Friday before the opening weekend of dear season every year.

[cynatnite]

8. Hubby and his brothers skipped school for deer season

That's what he told me some years ago, but if one of our kids were to do it today, he'd have a fit.

But no institution sanctioned letting students our early for it, either.

I just find this so disturbing and the message it sends is driving me batshit crazy.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

9. In Pennsylvania most school districts now give 1st day of deer season off

The absentee rate was so high, most school districts just decided to make it an off day.

[rkc3]

18. The Monday after Thanksgiving. The most dangerous say of the year

in PA woods.

After three days of pigging out and drinking, our neighbors decide to go hiking with firearms. Usually one or two accidental shootings and an equal number of heart attacks.

Even as an avid hunter, I avoid hunting on this day.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

22. Yep. Every single year on the evening news on 1st day of deer season

Accidentally shot and heart attack stories.

[etherealtruth]

3. What????? Why?????

I Know for SURE kids do not get time off for professional sports (not that I consider NASCAR a sport ,mind you)around here.

[DBoon]

5. What's more important? NASCAR or their education?

oops, I think I answered that one.

[rkc3]

25. You don't need an education to work at Wal-Mart.

However, knowing the driver and number of the car, sponsors, and current standings will help you direct shoppers to the correct aisle to get their next blow-moled model.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

6. When I lived in NC

and worked in a major law firm, the whole place basically shut down during the ACC men's college basketball tournament. The courts closed early, people played hooky from work, etc.

I am very passionate about college basketball and during major tournaments (such as the ACC and NCAA) I hate to admit that I am not as good a worker as on the other days :D

[etherealtruth]

7. Work isn't school, though ...

There are a few advantages to being adult.

[LeftNYC]

10. Go Tar Heels!

Class of '96!

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

23. pfft... booo hissssssss!

NC State

AND

DUKE

[LeftNYC]

24. 2005 NCAA Champs!

too bad all of our starters are gone...

[soup]

12. Is it listed on the school calendar as 'Nascar day'? n/t

[DS1]

13. Nascar is higher math education

500 - 1 = 499
499 - 1 = 498
498 - 1 = 497

[Davis_X_Machina]

14. We have a teacher in-service day...

...scheduled during the Fryeburg fair, about 20 min. away. The HS kids especially used to just skip a day during fair week, causing about 1/4th of the kids to be out any given day. The catch-up was brutal.

Now, in a manner of speaking, 100% of them skip, but all on the same day -- much tidier.

[SoCalDem]

15. I have heard of schools that let kids out when the waves are great

:)

if most kids surf, and ditch for the beach..why not:)

[Iris]

16. sponsored by military recruiters?

[cynatnite]

17. And Friday isn't official race day either

I think that's when they start the qualifying. Usually only hardcore race fans attend those.

[DefenseLawyer]

19. Having a half day off doesn't bother me

Packing kids into huge consolidated schools with overflowing classrooms, outdated text books and under-qualified, underpaid teachers bothers me. The problems with schools isn't that kids aren't there enough, it's that they aren't getting what they need when they are there, in my opinion.

[theHandpuppet]

20. My recent trip through Bristol

No offense to any DUers from Bristol, but I have an anecdotal experience to share about the "hospitality" of that particular community.

Bristol happened to be one the places I stopped to refresh myself on the long drive from the eastern panhandle of WV to Crawford and Camp Casey. This had to be the most downright unfriendly and rude place I encountered throughout my entire journey. It didn't matter what the circumstance was -- whether asking for directions, getting some gas, stopping at a local store, or even manuevering through traffic -- I encountered nothing but rudeness and outright hostility.

Finally, I had even thought of driving to the next town to grab a bite to eat, but I was too weary and the trip ahead too long to make an unnecessary stop. So I pulled over to a hamburger joint (Wendy's) where the high schooler behind the counter was surprisingly cheerful and friendly. Before I left, I made a point of going up to her and remarking that her cheerful disposition had made my day much brighter, as the other folks I had encountered in her town were so sour that I was really hesistant to ever visit there again.

She chuckled and then said, "Y'know, that's funny -- someone else told me that exact same thing yesterday." So it wasn't just me.

Anyway, there were much friendlier folks in other parts of TN (especially Memphis and Nashville), but I was so turned off by Bristol that I actually plotted out a return trip that took me on a longer, more convoluted trip back home by heading due north from Nashville and avoiding Bristol (and Knoxville, where the roads must have been chewed out with jackhammers and picks) altogether.

Besides, there are enough "W", "Abortion is Murder" and "God Bless John Wayne" stickers on back bumpers in Bristol and Knoxville to cause highway blindness. (Well okay, the "God Bless John Wayne" wasn't a bumper sticker, but painted in huge red letters across the entire rear of someone's car.)

Anyone from Bristol is welcome to pass along my letter to the local Chamber of Commerce. Not that they'd care, but they certainly lost one tourist here! (And, I guess, the other visitor who complained to the Wendy's employee.) Just seems a shame that a community with a church on every corner and the name of Jesus on every back bumper would be the very antithesis of charity, friendliness and cheer.

[rfkrfk]

21. more stupid ... schools open in August n/t

[Throckmorton]

26. Agreed, school starts 9/1 here.

Let the kids have their summer.

[donsu]

27. US public school system has crashed along with our health system

letting kids off to kill deer or watch car races is a negative thing to do. but SPORT rules in america. (correction: male sports rule)

but since we have found out that not many US high school students graduate any more, the kids are already out and about doing nothing of consequence.

a crashed health system
a crashed school system
a crashing food system

Sports rule!

[lectrobyte]

28. Ah, good old Kingsport. I kind of miss that town.

Yeah, a day off for NASCAR does seem a bit ridiculous, but Bristol from what I remember of plant closings etc. needs all the economic boost it can get. I'd be tempted to let it slide.

[Coventina]

29. I am not a NASCAR fan, but I really don't have a problem with this

I think schools should be sensitive to the local community and its needs. As long as the needs of minority members are protected of course.

If the first day of deer season means that a majority of students and staff are going to call in "sick" I see no reason why they shouldn't just make it a holiday for all. The kids don't HAVE to go hunting if they don't want to.

If a NASCAR race is that important to the community, I really don't see why the school can't acknowledge the fact. If I were a teacher, I would try to give an outside assignment of some kind that involved learning. Like maybe learning to figure gas mileage or how something works on the car or something like that. Then the kids could give a brief report on what they learned on the Monday following.