Competitive Debate at PCLC ​  

COMPETITIVE DEBATE
Tuesdays 8:15-10:30
Teacher/Coach Miss Rebecca Starbeck
$405 per semester* (two-semester course)

​*There is an annual student fee for all students taking classes at Pacific Coast Learning Center. Some charter schools allow for this fee to be added to the cost of classes rather than being paid out-of-pocket by parents. If your charter agrees, you may add the cost of the student fee to your first PO. ​ 

Who:
  • 8th-12th grade (motivated 7th grade students will be considered)
What:
  • We will be competing in the Orange County Debate League 
Where:
  • Classes take place at Pacific Coast Learning Center in Westminster but Zoom may also be used for extra practice time when needed.
​When:
  • 2023-2024 Class meets Tuesdays, 8:15-10:30 (We often schedule an extra day of practice on a Friday, usually a week or two before the tournament.)
  • Competition dates to be announced by the league (usually announced in September)
  • Traditionally there have been three competitions per year. Competitions take place on Saturdays. The tournament starts at about 7:30 AM and is almost always finished before 5:00 PM. 
How: 
  • Class/Coaching fee is $405* per semester
  • League fee, to be announced and will be divided between participants (Please note that the league fee is not included in the coaching fee and is commonly not covered charter schools.) As of early 2023, no league fee has been required.
  • Parent involvement is required during tournaments and welcomed at practice​​
Why: 
  • Competition drives learning. Debate is a game and pressing to win makes debate a fun, learning-centered activity. Even history and current events become tools for winning. Debate topics are always relevant to current times. 
  • Competitive debate helps learners see the power of using rational, reasoned arguments, strengthened by solid evidence
  • Competitive debate builds confidence and poise.
  • Competitive debate can both temper and build one's view of self. It takes hard work to win and it is humbling to lose. Those to whom things frequently come easily quickly learn that they must work hard to excel. Debaters learn that investing in the work pays off. 
  • At the very least, debate helps learners to see the power of deploying rational, reasoned arguments and compelling evidence in action. Increasing learners' confidence, poise, and self-esteem. Providing an engaging, active, learner-centered activity. Improving rigorous higher-order and critical thinking skills.
  • Frequently asked questions:
    • May a student try out Competitive Debate for just a semester? Please don't. Students should be self motivated and willing to grow. This is a team activity. Students compete on teams of three. When you drop out mid-year or are not working for the team, you leave your team stranded. We know that there are times when circumstances dictate what you must do. We ask that you carefully consider the commitment prior to enrolling.
    • Does a student need to take Speech & Debate before joining Competitive Debate? No, but they should be motivated to grow as communicators and to take the team commitment seriously. While there is no official prerequisite, returning competitive debaters are given priority registration which means open spots on the team may be limited and the team is likely to fill up fast. There is an 18 member maximum. 
    • ​How does Competitive Debate compare with regular Speech & Debate Classes? The value of competition cannot be stressed enough. Competition makes learning more fun. The drive to win has a tendency to make students more interested in academics, it bolsters their confidence and critical thinking skills. The Competitive Debate class is more casual (students are sometimes seen kicking back on the floor with their computer in front of them, doing research). Teamwork builds friendships. We brainstorm and laugh together. 
    • How does the workload and progress in Competitive Debate class compare with Speech & Debate class? There is actually more assigned work in Speech & Debate class but since we move from one assignment to the next there is not always as much improvement as we see in Competitive Debate. In Competitive Debate, students are repeatedly researching, defining, building arguments, looking for flaws in opponent arguments and working to improve speaker skills. The progress tends to be more pronounced in Competitive Debate. (more on the workload, below) 
Workload: ​