Missing the Point on Graduation Rates

I see one of your readers has weighed in on the long-standing controversy over who is responsible for graduation rates among athletes, coaches or teachers, and casts his vote for teachers. The answer, of course, is neither. It is the student’s responsibility.

Furthermore, considering the Mickey Mouse courses most of these guys take, what’s the difference if the world has a few more or less unemployed phys-ed majors taking up space?

Burt Prelutsky

North Hills

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Eric Krust’s letter [“Coaches or Teachers,” March 29] calling for the blame of poor graduation rates to be thrust upon the teachers instead of the coaches indicates a painful disconnection from reality. As a college professor with a strict attendance policy, I can attest to the fact that my college guidelines require me to permit absence after absence due to game scheduling that, according to the coach, is more important than attending class. Whenever students’ games conflict with class, it’s always the athletic contest that takes priority, never the other way around.

Imagine a scenario in which a coach can mandate players missing all their classes after 9 a.m. for a 1 p.m. home game. That’s what I’ve had to deal with. When a coach, overtly or covertly, constantly emphasizes athletics over academics to his/her players, the obvious results are less class attendance, lower grades and, eventually, a poor graduation rate.

Blame the teachers? In the immortal words of Casey Stengel, you gotta be kidding.

Keith T. Hardeman

Columbia, Mo.