Testing 1-2-3
This just in. The University Interscholastic League has created the protocol it will follow to perform mandatory steroid testing of high school student athletes. The new mandatory testing comes as a result of Senate Bill 8, passed this spring.
See it here.
The protocol is basically a set of rules and guidelines, including definitions of steroid-testing related terms, and an explanation of how athletes become ineligible. It also lists all the banned substances.*
UIL has not selected a date this program will begin, but it is allowing the public 14 days to provide any feedback about the above protocol.
*Why do pharmaceutical names all have to be so complicated? My dad is a pharmacist and a Chinese immigrant, and I can't imagine him trying to pronounce these drug names WHILE he was just getting comfortable with English.
Learning is Fundamental
We visited a college and an elementary school in one morning, and the elementary school was marginally more fun because there were seven live meat goats there.*
I spoke at a freshman-level political science class St. Edwards University, the private hamlet of higher learning down on South Congress. The professor gave me fifty minutes (which is 48 and a half minutes longer than one of my typical television stories). EGAD!
I brought a few stories from the whirlwind final weekend of the 80th legislative session to show. The student reactions to Craddick's failure to recognize members were interesting -- there was always audible reaction when they saw/heard Craddick say "You are not recognized for that motion", and even more so when they saw parliamentarian Terry Keel feed Craddick lines to repeat. I'm just excited that 18 year olds found the Texas House somewhat engaging.
*About the goats. Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples had a dog-and-pony goat-and-chicken show at an East Austin Elementary school that's the beneficiary of an Ag Dept grant. The kids were awesome -- the chicks and goats were even better! Who knew? Seven meat goats in the middle of far East Austin.
Testing 1-2-3
As if middle school wasn't tough enough already, now students must be subjected to doing something called the "trunk lift".
The Texas Education Agency is introducing its statewide PE test today, something called "Fitnessgram".
The lege passed the mandatory testing this spring, in an effort to cut down on obesity rates in Texas. The test will measure body composition, muscular strength, and flexibility, among other things. To measure these things, students will have to do push-ups, a paced 20-meter run that increases in difficulty, and (EGAD!) curl-ups.
I STILL can't do a curl-up.
Results from the first Fitnessgram will go to the TEA, without the students' names. The aim is to use results to help develop curriculums that make students healthier.
We'll Pay You Back Later
During the legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that required teachers across the state to get fingerprint background checks, which cost about $50 each. Who would pay? It appears it won't be teachers themselves, after some concerns about that earlier this summer.
TEA (more specifically, acting commissioner Robert Scott) has received a letter from Perry, Dewhurst and Craddick that says the agency will have to foot the bill for the background checks.
Continue reading "We'll Pay You Back Later" »
