LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MINUTES
December 8, 2010
Hermitage, Tennessee
1. Introduction and Welcome
2. Roll Call
3. Approved Minutes of the Previous Meeting
4. Voted to elect Dan Black as President and Mike Henson as Vice-President
5. Reviewed the 2010 Regional Meetings
6. Old Business
a. Approved a re-write of Article I, Section 9 regarding the definition of classified employees.
Classified Employee – Any individual employed by a member school or school system in a position that does not require a teaching license or the equivalent. The use of classified employees as coaches is subject to the following restrictions:
(a) The classified employee must be employed full-time (30 hours or more per week) in a non-coaching position and may not be an independent contractor or an employee of an independent contractor;
(b) Although not counted as a non-faculty coach, he/she must be submitted to the state office annually and meet all the requirements listed below.
Use of a classified employee coach who does not meet all the requirements listed below or who has not been submitted to the state office shall result in a fine of $500.00
7. New Business
a. Approved the proposed addition to Article V, Section 4 (Disciplinary Action) of the TSSAA Constitution:
(6) No awards shall be given to a member school recognizing their finish in the regular season in any TSSAA sponsored sport if that school has been placed on restrictive probation for that sport.
b. Denied the proposed amendment to Article IV, Section 8 (Sports
Calendar) in football:
• First Practice Date – Monday, Week of August 1
• Date of First Contest – Wednesday, Week of September 8
c. Denied the proposed change to Article I, Section 9 (Coaches)
Currently, it is required that head coaches in football, baseball, basketball, softball, and track and field be faculty members and carry a state teaching license or the equivalent.
The proposed change would have allowed head coaches in football, baseball, basketball, softball, and track and field to have a state teaching license or the equivalent, but not be faculty members.
d. Approved the proposed Change in Article IV, Section 8 (Sports Calendar) of the TSSAA Bylaws
• To reduce all sports’ dead period from three separate dead periods to two dead periods during one calendar year (keep the two-week July 4 dead period intact).
• To reduce all sports’ dead periods from eight weeks to five weeks (keep the two-week July 4 dead period intact).
• To eliminate the three-week dead period at the official start date of all sports-seasons preceding another sports season (see below for details).
Fall sports: (5 total weeks)
* Proposal will eliminate the three-week dead period from mid-February to the beginning of March (Sunday, February 13, 2011 to Saturday, March 5, 2011)
* Proposal will keep the three-week dead period immediately following the end of the season.
* Proposal will keep the two-week dead period from the week before July 4 and the week of July 4. (Sunday, June 27, 2010 to Saturday, July 10, 2010 AND Sunday, June 26, 2011 to Saturday, July 9, 2011).
Winter sports: (5 total weeks)
* Proposal will eliminate the three-week dead period from the end of July to middle of August. (Sunday, August 1, 2010 to Saturday, August 21, 2010)
* Proposal will keep the three-week dead period immediately following the end of the season.
* Proposal will keep the two-week dead period from the week before July 4 and the week of July 4. (Sunday, June 27, 2010 to Saturday, July 10, 2010 AND Sunday, June 26, 2011 to Saturday, July 9, 2011).
Spring sports: (5 total weeks)
* Proposal will eliminate the three-week dead period from the end of October to mid-November. (Sunday, October 31, 2010 to Saturday, November 20, 2010).
* Proposal will keep the three-week dead period from end of July to middle of August. (Sunday, August 1, 2010 to Saturday, August 21, 2010)
* Proposal will keep the two-week dead period from the week before July 4 and the week of July 4. (Sunday, June 27, 2010 to Saturday, July 10, 2010 AND Sunday, June 26, 2011 to Saturday, July 9, 2011).
** All proposed eliminated dead periods would be times to continue established weight lifting and conditioning programs with concurrent TSSAA rules and restrictions.
e. Approved the proposed TSSAA Bylaw Concerning Home Schooled Students’ Participation. The rule passed is as follows:
A home schooled student wishing to participate in extracurricular athletics at a member school shall be eligible if the following qualifications are met:
1. The student shall be enrolled in a home school study program in compliance with Section 49-6-3050(b)(1) and be registered with the local director of schools (or head of school, if a private school) by August 15 of the current school year.
2. The participating student must have a legal residence within the school district where he/she is registered, if registering with a public school. If registering with a private school, the student must have a legal residence within 20 miles of the private school and meet all tuition and financial aid requirements.
3. By August 15 of the school year, the parent or guardian must make application to the principal of the member school in which the home school athlete wishes to participate.
4. The home school athlete shall meet the same academic standards required of a member school student athlete to participate in the athletic program; however, the Director of Schools for public schools (or the head of school for private schools) in which a home school athlete wishes to participate shall work with the parent or guardian to ensure that the home school athlete is academically eligible. If a home school student’s course of study does not include five (5) academic subjects, then the Director of Schools (or head of school, if a private school) and the parent shall develop an alternative measure of academic progress and submit the same to the TSSAA for approval. Proof of academic eligibility shall be provided by the member school to the TSSAA each semester.
5. The home school student must provide proof of basic medical insurance coverage and both independently secured catastrophic insurance coverage and liability insurance coverage which names the TSSAA as an insured party in the event the school’s insurance provider does not extend coverage to students enrolled in home school programs. The insurance must be in place before the home school student practices or participates.
6. The LEA may impose a participation fee for each athletic sport in which a home school athlete wishes to participate. Such participation fee shall not exceed three hundred dollars annually for each sport and shall be paid in full prior to the first regular season contest. A home school student participating at a private school shall be subject to full tuition and financial aid rules.
7. The home school student must meet all other TSSAA eligibility requirements.
8. All eligibility issues may be appealed in accordance with the Bylaws of the TSSAA.
9. The home school athlete must adhere to the same standards of behavior, responsibility, performance, and code of conduct as other participants of the team.
10. This rule gives a home school athlete the opportunity to try out for a member school’s athletic team. Ultimate decisions on the roster are left to the member schools and are not governed by the TSSAA. No student is guaranteed participation, but only the opportunity to try out for a position on the team, subject to the other provisions of this rule.
Transfer:
1. Eligibility will be established at the first member school the home school athlete decides to participate. After participation at the first member school, any changes within member schools shall be governed by the transfer rule.
2. Any student who withdraws from a regular school program, which for the purpose of this policy is defined as a member school, to enroll in a home school education program and who is ineligible at the time of withdrawal from the regular school program due to his/her failure to meet academic or behavioral eligibility standards shall be ineligible to compete in interscholastic athletic competition as a home education athlete until such time as he/she has satisfied this home school bylaw as well as all other eligibility bylaws of TSSAA