The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association

The question of whether the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) should separate public and private schools into their own divisions has been a topic of discussion for years. As a product of 14 years of Catholic education, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in athletics during my high school career. Many of the teams that we played were public school teams from small communities where athletics were almost more important than an education. Unfortunately, I have witnessed firsthand the animosity that has surfaced between public and private schools. The PIAA is the governing body of high school sports in the state of Pennsylvania. The PIAA was founded in 1913 and initially included only public schools as members. Parochial and private schools were admitted to the PIAA in the late 1970’s. In 1997, the PA Charter School Act was passed which allowed for the creation of charter schools. The emergence of charter schools, particularly in the Philadelphia area, created even greater animosity between private and public schools. The Philadelphia schools, many of which are charter schools, were not members of the PIAA until 2003. Their athletic success at the state championship level has raised many concerns from the public sector. The primary problem that the PIAA faces today is the dominance of private schools winning the majority of state titles in all sports. Public schools have geographic boundaries that determine the school a student mustShow MoreRelatedPublic Education For Public Schools1477 Words   |  6 Pagesreform with this in mind (Cubberly, 1922; Sobe, 2011). However, as governors and state legislatures look for ways to trim budgets, school districts from coast to coast are challenged to find ways to cut costs (Howley, Johnson, Petrie, 2011). Pennsylvania is among the states currently looking at educational reforms during these tumultuous economic times, just as many school administrators face large budget deficits each year, threatening the notion of a free, equal public education for all. AsRead MorePublic School versus Home School Essay1360 Words   |  6 Pagesactivities, but athletics get the most attention according to the Home School Legal Defense Fund (Brockett, 1995). That is because competitive sports are the one activity families can not easily duplicate as their children reach high school age. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, after three state judges ruled against home schoolers being barred from playing on public high school teams, has initiated a one year open door trial program (Brockett, 1995). A Pennsylvania federal courtRead MoreThe Inequality Of Female And Male Sports3247 Words   |  13 Pagesexcluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance† (Anderson). These thirty seven words, known as Title IX, have transformed the athletic community for both males and females over the past forty two years. Many wonder why there is still so much talk about the inequalities of female and male sports even after forty two years of the enactment of Title IX. Violations of this law stillRead Morejesse owen Essay3441 Words   |  14 Pagesteacher in the North failed to understand his southern drawl and put his name down as Jesse. Too modest to correct his teacher, Owens kept the name. Athletic Success as a Teenager Owens enrolled in Clevelands Fairmount Junior High School around 1927 and quickly attracted the attention of a mentor who would prove crucial in his future athletic success. Charles Riley worked at the school as a physical education teacher and track-and-field coach and immediately realized that Owens was a naturally