17 of 20 teams in state finals are private schools

Let the debate begin. Of the 20 teams to qualify for next weekend's state basketball championships in Sacramento, 17 are private schools.

The only public schools to earn spots are Berkeley in Division I girls, Rialto in Division II girls and Fontana Summit in Division II boys.

Here's column with some thoughts.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Comments

[baseobserver]

The charter schools could be dominate if they want to. The large charters like El Co and Granada need to take students that live in their attendance area first and then they can fill with anyone they want if they choose too. El Co has always let athletes in to play. The impression I have about Granada, from what I've heard, is that administration only cares about their academic image and test scores. Their scores reflect that. Their coaches are handicapped, because the administration will not bend the rules or look the other way to let players in, like every other school. An example is their basketball team that has 1 player who starts that is over 6 feet tall.

It is strictly black and white, if you live in the area ok, if not put in your application for the lottery. They have a waiting list of over 1500 trying and get in. Give credit to their coaches for putting out teams that for the most part offer good competition.

[The Truth]

Gordillo, you are the class-a-clown......Your points have no basis and your slam of Eric shows what a boob you are. But I was entertained by your lower level of intelligence, thanks for the laughs.

[SFV Sports Fan]

Hi Gordillo,
I was just responding to "Nice to See a Good Game's" final point in the first post. I agree that Charters aren't a talking point point here. I also agree that ES slobbers all over private schools. I mean, how much Oaks Christian coverage can one paper provide! For a small and new school Sierra Canyon gets a disporportionate amount of coverage. Sierra Canyon is a 2000's version of the Montclair Prep of the 1980's. They'll get busted soon enough.

[thomas]

c gordillo:

Back up off my boy ES! He covers high school sports from Paso Robles to San Clemente...dude ain't gonna get everying you want him to get. So slow your roll! ES is pretty fair minded..take it from me..I opine here a lot, and there are times when I am plenty critical of the private school and he is more than willing to add it to the blog, and there are times when I may tend to go to far in criticism of some of the public schoolsand they never see the light of your computer. ES does what he does and manages a blog, and has time to exchange emails with a slug like me while he is working a 12 hour day at the basketball championships yesterday! I may not always agree with him, but ES is far from a clown....and it would take a clown to accuse him of such a thing!

[C. Gordillo]

Sorry SFV Sports Fan, but I'm pretty sure the "Charters" have nothing to do with this discussion. If anything, LAUSD-charters are in a disadvantage because of low numbers; most charters are 400-900 kids at most. And the ones that do field teams are by no means "dominating."

It's a no win situation:
1) You can't force families to attend their local schools if the school has a low state-rating (test scores), but,
2) It's unfair that private schools (asst coaches, boosters) are exempt from talking to kids convincing them to abandon their neighborhoods.

I do agree with your ECR and GH arguments. Dead on.

[Nice To See A Good Game]

Taft will be in a steep downward spiral in each and every sport starting with the new year. We are losing a hundred of our top students to El Camino each year, and with the new Ivy Charter being placed on our campus we aim to lose many of our open enrollment (read: athletes) students over the next few years.

If El Camino decides to eventually go 6-12 (questionable, one must wonder if they want to piss off their feeder junior highs), then yes, it will certainly dominate in both athletics and academics.

Currently, my impression is that Granada doesn't care about football. They have a large percentage of asian students who would rather play tennis, volleyball or swimming. They are currently better than nearly all private schools in that regard. If they want to go the football route, then they could dominate in a span of three years, being 6-12.

[chalkline]

9) Luxury tax the private schools and their churches?

10) With all the taxes going into the States public school system for coaches and better facilities?

11) Open the boundries of public school along with the rolling out the red carpet opportunities for the better players?

12) Seperate the State and Church?

It would be easier to do #12 though... but not as much fun.

[Max Plank]

C. Gardillo,

Public schools recruit. Did Reynardo Sydney go to Fairfax for the education? Fairfax, Crenshaw, Westchester, Compton Domimguez, etc have been involved in recruiting scandals. Over the years how many LA City schools won state titles?

It's Title IX. Private schools, especially all boys schools, are not subject to the strictures of Title IX.

[SFV Sports Fan]

Eric is right that the Public Private tension is on a collision course.
Regarding the LAUSD Charters "dominating"...
1)They dominate City Section but get smashed in regional and state playoffs...except Taft which isn't charter. 2) The three schools mentioned are West Valley League schools maybe the issue is regional not Charter vs. LAUSD. 3)Football matters most: Granada Hills is TERRIBLE in Football. If El Camino steps up to Division 1 in football you will see they won't dominate playoffs either. No one really know where Birmingham is headed. Palisades is hit and miss, but their facilities are cool and yes they win a couple of City titles every year also. Granada Hills is not the model until they get football going. El Camino is the model.
How many charter schools are playing games in Orange County or Arizona or Georgia?

[Max Plank]

It's the unintended consequences of Title IX

[Jim Smith]

Before you declare the unfair advantage of private schools, let's remember that these statistics are a bit misleading. There are very few public school in Division 4 and 5, particularly from the Southern Section, which clearly dominated the southern regionals yesterday. In fact, while some may want to focus on the public vs. private divide in order to foster class conflict, the real story is that the Southern Section went 10 for 10 in the Southern Regional Boys and Girls finals yesterday

[blng_blng]

85% of the schools in the state game are private schools?
Funny how that works out...
Mater Dei is a college...
Either let everyone recruit or put private schools in a different section.

[C. Gordillo]

You forgot one: private schools recruit.

Coaches acting as recruiters assemble city all-star teams by draining cities of talent because they are not subject to school zoning rules, like playing out of district or out of sub-districts.

Of course city teams get creamed in regional playoffs. City competition level is watered down and when they get to regionals they face all-star teams. CIF wont do anything about it.

The only request I have is for panderers like Sondheimer to stop creating further animosity toward public schools, specially for a phenomenon that is clearly constructed.

Sondheimer, you are one Class-A Clown. Whatever happened to journalism? Go work for Fox News where you belong.

[Nice To See A Good Game]

To contribute to the rolling of the ball:

1) Are private schools purely high schools, or are many of them grades 6-12?
2) Discipline, discipline discipline.
3) There is undoubtedly referee bias. No one can deny it.
4) Coaches are paid to coach the sport, not teach four periods of ______.
5) Better facilities.
6) Many are sandbaggers, competing in lower divisions than they should be.
7) Wealthy kids' parents can pay for extra coaching and extra opportunities.
8) Alumni expectation goes a long way.

I'm sure others will come up with another ten or twenty reasons.

Last observation: The really big charter schools will begin to dominate nearly every sport over the next five years (e.g. Granada Hills). If they grow to be grades 6-12 with 5000+ students then nothing will stop them. El Camino and Birmingham will mirror Granada Hills in a few years time.