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UESF
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Metal detectors won't solve problems:
District must show will to deal with violent behaviorby Linda Plack, UESF Vice President
When we talk about violence in schools we must remind ourselves that we are talking about a very small minority of our students. But our district has not shown the political will to deal with the anti-social behavior of these few. In our schools there is a lack of clearly carried out consequences and as a result there is a failure to protect the victims of extortion, violence and drug abuse.
I served as the dean of students at a high school for seven years and stepped down out of my frustration with the situation. Since the time, ten years ago, when I began to do the job, changes in district policy have resulted in assailants returning to the schools where they have committed crimes against their fellow students, allowing them to feel empowered to continue their behavior.
There is no longer mandatory removal of students suspended for violent behavior. Students are removed from their schools only if their own parents decide they want them moved. Additionally, the district no longer holds "disciplinary" conferences as consequences of anti-social behavior.
We are concerned that there is pressure on administrators to suppress the number of suspensions. When the rate of suspensions drops we doubt that this is a reflection of what is occuring in the schools and on the buses.The lesson that is learned is that bad behavior will be tolerated. This leads to a lack of respect for teachers and authority figures.
Teachers and students know that there is a student handbook and there is a state Education Code with rules that should be followed. The administration must show the will to implement the education code and its own rules. And we encourage the district to increase the availability of positive interventions for students who require them.
Entire city must work together to curb violence
Dennis Kelly's presentation to the Board of Education on December 2.
