Another Jackson Prep Championship, Another Essay by Curmudgeon

[curmudgeon]

on why Mississippi schools should go the way of Tennessee and Alabama and all play in the MHSAA.

I would even modify my plan and go to 7 classes (either 7A like Alabama, or create a "Division II" like Tennessee)

The larger private schools can compete in their class. Jackson Prep and JA would be 5A, MRA would be 4A, most of the MAIS AAA would be 2A and 3A, and most of AA would be 1A and 2A. Create a Division II class for the smallest of the small schools (under 150 students, public and private).

MAIS is getting ridiculous. Other than three teams that could compete in the MHSAA, Its a joke.

[notsofarawaydawg]

The MAIS chose their own path years ago when they didn't want to go to school or play sports with black people. Not condemning them for doing that but they dug their own grave when they made that choice. Now they are seeing what money can buy and where their are a lot of rich people (your big 3) their are going to be dominating teams because they can openly recruit (regardless of what they say they do or do not do). Why should it be up the MHSAA to fix that problem? They did not create it. Fire away !!!

[SDDawg]

That recruiting has been going on forever too and it's the same schools on top year after year for sure. I went to an academy and I thought we were pretty shameless about it, even though it was a pretty small school, definitely should have been playing against more talented teams. Needs to go the way of the dinosaurs...

[BulldogDX55]

The way that Florida classifies private schools is that they are classified based on number of male students x 1.5 in order to make up for their ability to (legally) recruit. I think that'd work.

[engie]

Think 1.5 is a little high...Makes sense with the amount of talent in big, urban areas with tons of talent in Florida. Makes less sense in rural MS. 1.3ish in MS...IMO...

And I agree, it needs to happen...

[curmudgeon]

The 6 week basketball playoffs with three different state champions in the same class is keeping the MAIS afloat. That's their big money maker. If they played a normal state championship schedule, they'd be financially underwater in one season.

Don't know what I am talking about?

Say you are Jackson Academy. At the end of the basketball regular season, you go to:

District Tournament = MAIS gets half the gate. Top 4 advance to:
Division II state tournament = MAIS gets half the gate. Top 4 advance to:
AAA State Tournament = MAIS gets half the gate. Top 4 advance to:
Overall State Tournament = MAIS gets full gate.

The winner of the latter three claim a state championship. It has been three different teams several times, especially in the smaller classes.

Rebel Academy is falling apart. They built a new gym a few years ago so they could host all the Class A basketball district and state tournaments. That gate is keeping that school open.

[curmudgeon]

The index that I think works in Mississippi would be 1.2. Alabama uses 1.35 and Florida uses 1.5

[Liverpooldawg]

They made their bed for a dead wrong reason. Let them lie in it. If they go to the MHSAA the multiplier should 2x or 3x.

[engie]

They made their bed for a dead wrong reason. Let them lie in it. If they go to the MHSAA the multiplier should 2x or 3x.

So you are in favor of punishing kids for a decision their grandparents made -- in such a way you GUARANTEE no merger ever happens? That's beyond ironic...

[Liverpooldawg]

So you are in favor of punishing kids for a decision their grandparents made -- in such a way you GUARANTEE no merger ever happens? That's beyond ironic...
That choice is still being made.

[engie]

That choice is still being made.

With your viewpoint -- which discriminates unfairly against the private schools -- there is no choice to be made.

[Liverpooldawg]

With your viewpoint -- which discriminates unfairly against the private schools -- there is no choice to be made.

That is hilarious, on many levels. There are private schools in the public league you know. We all know why the rest of them aren't.

[chef dixon]

Certain areas of the state there is no other choice but to attend one of these schools if you want your child to have the best chance of being successful. That's just the way it is.

[Todd4State]

So you are in favor of punishing kids for a decision their grandparents made -- in such a way you GUARANTEE no merger ever happens? That's beyond ironic...

I'm sure everyone at Prep goes there solely because there are no black people there.*************************

[curmudgeon]

I have no problem with private schools, I'm just against segregating the competition. Every other state in the South has gotten past this.

[curmudgeon]

I'm sure everyone at Prep goes there solely because there are no black people there.*************************

* Unless they can run the football or drive the paint, then they are welcome.

[Liverpooldawg]

Certain areas of the state there is no other choice but to attend one of these schools if you want your child to have the best chance of being successful. That's just the way it is.

I never argue with personal choice. I respect that. The corporate choice that continues to be made is a bad one though. It isn't good for either system.

[Todd4State]

on why Mississippi schools should go the way of Tennessee and Alabama and all play in the MHSAA.

I would even modify my plan and go to 7 classes (either 7A like Alabama, or create a "Division II" like Tennessee)

The larger private schools can compete in their class. Jackson Prep and JA would be 5A, MRA would be 4A, most of the MAIS AAA would be 2A and 3A, and most of AA would be 1A and 2A. Create a Division II class for the smallest of the small schools (under 150 students, public and private).

MAIS is getting ridiculous. Other than three teams that could compete in the MHSAA, Its a joke.

I can't see it ever happening because of Prep and to a lesser extent JA and maybe MRA.

It's a pretty sweet situation for them. They play some public schools and at the same time, they are going to win the MAIS championship or finish second. They could compete in 4A-5A, but I doubt they would win championships regularly like they do. The smaller schools are all under the Jackson Country Club's teams thumb.

Prep has a lot to "sell" (championships, still play good public school team and can compete with them, has sent players to the NFL) which helps them to recruit legally. Having the money that they do is an advantage even over a school like Northwest Rankin where they have to split things up with Brandon and the other Rankin schools except for Pearl.

That and the fact that if they go to the MHSAA, they would have to cut out their 5th and 6th grade teams at First Pres. That's a BIG issue. Having those teams is a big reason why Prep is so fundamentally sound and good IMO. They start younger than everyone else- as does JA and the other private schools.

[chef dixon]

I never argue with personal choice. I respect that. The corporate choice that continues to be made is a bad one though. It isn't good for either system.

I mean I agree with what you're saying, but there really isn't even a "choice" to be made for some.

[Liverpooldawg]

Give the private schools a district comparable in size to their neighboring public schools and totally ban recruiting and enforce it then I have no problem with private schools competing in the public league, providing they don't discriminate.

[Liverpooldawg]

I mean I agree with what you're saying, but there really isn't even a "choice" to be made for some.

The corporate choice continues to be made. Make that choice for the public schools and make them work then everyone benefits. I come from and live in an area of the state where that choice was made from the beginning. We have excellent public schools that everyone goes to.

[Todd4State]

The corporate choice continues to be made. Make that choice for the public schools and make them work then everyone benefits. I come from and live in an area of the state where that choice was made from the beginning. We have excellent public schools that everyone goes to.

And not everyone is that fortunate. You can't tell a parent that is financially able in the Mississippi delta to send their kid to a public school that is bad over a private school that gives them a better education.

In Madison, they have an excellent public school in pretty much each area- Madison, Gluckstadt, and Ridgeland. And yet many people continue to send their kids to MRA. And personally I think that's OK. I know people that didn't fit in at Madison Central for whatever reason (bullied, struggled academically, didn't like it etc.) but they went to MRA and they were happy and are doing fine now. And I know people that came to MC because they didn't like MRA.

My parents sent me to MC because it was a good school and they didn't want to pay for private school because there was no reason to do so. However, if Madison didn't have a good school, they would have sent me to a private school.

In most cases, that's the "corporate choice" that parents are making- where can my child get the best education? If the public schools want to get the private school people back, then they need to put out a better product.

[Liverpooldawg]

Corporate choice does not refer to the choice any individual parent makes.

[IMissJack]

But, in most states, I believe most of the private schools are Catholic/Episcopal, etc. religiously affiliated. In MS, most of the private schools are not religiously affiliated. Here in Houston/Katy, TX the Public 6A my son goes to plays Strake Jesuit regularly, and they are part of our conference.

[Thick]

Well get ready because the big 3 in the Jackson metro area (MAIS) could be seriously looking at MHSSA. It has a lot to do with the new alignment MAIS is proposing. All three schools are communicating with each other on possibly making the jump together. This came from the AD's of 2 of the 3 in a conversation about a week ago.

[Liverpooldawg]

But, in most states, I believe most of the private schools are Catholic/Episcopal, etc. religiously affiliated. In MS, most of the private schools are not religiously affiliated. Here in Houston/Katy, TX the Public 6A my son goes to plays Strake Jesuit regularly, and they are part of our conference.

Exactly.

[Liverpooldawg]

Well get ready because the big 3 in the Jackson metro area (MAIS) could be seriously looking at MHSSA. It has a lot to do with the new alignment MAIS is proposing. All three schools are communicating with each other on possibly making the jump together. This came from the AD's of 2 of the 3 in a conversation about a week ago.

I wonder if the MHSAA will take them.

[JDog13]

Black people are allowed in private schools. Prep, JA, MRA have black people enrolled. Just about all the private schools in MS are "religiously affiliated." The majority are Christian belief. I say Christian belief because a lot of them don't affiliate to one certain religion. There are several Episcopal Academies and Catholic Schools. The Catholic Schools have played in the MHSSA for years. Many of the private schools use curriculum from Abeka https://www.abeka.com/ChristianSchool/ . Myself, like many of my classmates, went to private school because the public schools in our area did not provide as good of an education.

[IMissJack]

Black people are allowed in private schools. Prep, JA, MRA have black people enrolled. Just about all the private schools in MS are "religiously affiliated." The majority are Christian belief. I say Christian belief because a lot of them don't affiliate to one certain religion. There are several Episcopal Academies and Catholic Schools. The Catholic Schools have played in the MHSSA for years. Many of the private schools use curriculum from Abeka https://www.abeka.com/ChristianSchool/ . Myself, like many of my classmates, went to private school because the public schools in our area did not provide as good of an education.

I went to an academy in MS that was call a "Christian" school and nothing was further from the truth. That was put on most academies in the '60s to give some cover for the real reason they were formed. And, I do agree that I got a better education than I would have gotten at the time in the public school that I would have had to attend. But, that same academy is so small now and dwindling, that I am sure the public high school is far more up to date and advanced than the private one.

[engie]

I have no problem with private schools, I'm just against segregating the competition. Every other state in the South has gotten past this.

Exactly. It sucks for any decent team in MAIS too. Trust me. When you are the best, you want a chance to prove it against all comers or either get proven wrong.

I get pissed about this every postseason in the MS/ALA allstar game when 3-4 worthy MAIS players in positions of need are left out of games we lose by one possession to a unified Alabama team....

[engie]

Well get ready because the big 3 in the Jackson metro area (MAIS) could be seriously looking at MHSSA. It has a lot to do with the new alignment MAIS is proposing. All three schools are communicating with each other on possibly making the jump together. This came from the AD's of 2 of the 3 in a conversation about a week ago.

Good.

Those 3 hold all the power. They leave and the MAIS will crumble...

[JDog13]

I went to an academy in MS that was call a "Christian" school and nothing was further from the truth. That was put on most academies in the '60s to give some cover for the real reason they were formed. And, I do agree that I got a better education than I would have gotten at the time in the public school that I would have had to attend. But, that same academy is so small now and dwindling, that I am sure the public high school is far more up to date and advanced than the private one.

Madison Central, NWR, etc. will provide a far superior education than the smaller private schools no doubt. Small private schools are struggling. One I went to for a few years closed, the one I finished at was founded in 78.

[Quaoarsking]

In most areas though, if the private school shut its doors and all of the students funneled into the public school, the public school would get a lot better, probably better than either school was to begin with, thanks to the increased money and parental involvement coming in.

Look at Starkville and Oxford for an example. The public schools in Oxford are excellent because almost all of the students go Oxford HS or Lafayette County HS. I think there's a small private school or two, but nothing major. Starkville HS and Starkville Academy are both decent, but if Starkville Academy disbanded itself and everyone went to Starkville HS, it would be one of the best in the state just from pooling resources.

You can't really blame individual parents for sending their kids to the better school, but it would be nice if every parent would collectively decide to go public and fully commit to it. Both sides would be better off.

[curmudgeon]

What's the new alignment being proposed that would piss off Prep, JA and MRA. I can't imagine anything that wouldnt be favorable to those schools.