Does Baltimore "disBELIEVE" in its schools?

If you have driven through the city of Baltimore, you've seen them. Black signs with capitalized letters on bumper stickers or banners hanging from city buildings. One simple idea...BELIEVE. It is a noble desire to have all of the city residents buy into the concept that they should BELIEVE, but when it comes to education, this seems like a far fetched wish.

If you have been in the "system" for some time, you can probably remember at least three or four Chief Executive Officers and the upheaval that they have created trying to make what seems to be "something out of nothing." If you have worked as an educator, I am sure you have felt the frustration of not knowing what the new initiatives will be and how those changes will affect you. The traditionally high attrition rate of CEOs that some have come to expect has created what I deem as a negatively high rate of cynicism on the part of educators. This elevated rate of cynicism has created in me a tremendous feeling of sadness in regards to some of my fellow educators. I believe there is a toxicity of negativity that dwells within the walls of the educational system in Baltimore City.

Is all hope lost in this city? Do educators no longer think that their purpose and their power to change the lives of their students is rooted in what the are able to in their classrooms and their enthusiasm can actually be contagious? Do all educators feel that they are less productive when they are held more accountable? I have always said, I could teach with rocks, a stick and sand if I had to, but I know that stems from my own passion for teaching and creating teachable moments wherever I can. If you are an educator that is doing their job by enriching the lives of your students, keeping abreast of your certification requirements, participating in activities that will bring you a sense of development and growth then I say continued success and no worries. I believe those individuals will always have a job somewhere and have a choice in what direction their career will go. What I have discovered is that those who rely on external factors (like who is the CEO) to justify whether of not they can produce results will always find themselves worried and looking over their shoulder.

CEO Andres Alonso has stated many times that he is committed to this city for 10 years, but ask any hopeless educator and the response might be riddled with disbelief. They do not believe the words of a man, whom to me, made his commitment to this city and its children quite evident when he accepted a pay cut in exchange for the management control in turning around the city's schools with more than controversial decisions. I respect a man who announced that he would commit 10 years to creating the change that he was hired to create and if the results desired on behalf of the students are not met, then by all means he should be fired. He expects from the employees of the system nothing short of what he expects from himself. I believe he will stay because it is apparent that his commitment stems from his love of children and his passion to have them achieve in spite of the challenges they face. He is a smart man who holds 4 degrees and changed his career to suit his passion, students. He has been an educator in one of the toughest systems in the nation. Alonso is used to the freedom and autonomy that he was granted as deputy chancellor of NYC public schools and encourages this type of management in individual schools in Baltimore.

I believe that all change is good, and although for some in this system, this change seems a bit radical, I feel it to be somewhat necessary. I have been in this system for at least 4 CEOs and see the change that Alonso brings as rejuvenating to a system that seems to accept failure as a cultural norm associated within its public schools. In order to change the way people think and operate, you must change their culture and through this paradigm shift will you begin to see the results you encourage. The paradigm shift that is occurring includes removing ineffective principals, developing systems that encourage greater parental involvement making sound fiscal decisions to ensure maximizing resources for students. It seems like those around me are doing more to work on behalf of their students and that is wonderful. If all city's educators could embrace the changes as positive steps in the right direction instead of as a looming cloud of fear, one would see the voice of the systems cynics quiet down and its toxicity would be less contagious.

I am quite familiar with the NYC school system and its improvements over the years. I saw first hand the resistance of running the school system with the same data driven results based approach most successful corporations utilize. Darwin's concept of "survival of the fittest" definitely has its place now in Baltimore City, where increased accountability, use of data to increase results and the idea of CHANGE is becoming the norm. I have always been a believer that in order to know people you must learn them. We can't all sit and have a "charla" with the CEO , but we can listen to what is being echoed again and again. It is about the children... I BELIEVE Alonso is committed, I BELIEVE parents will become more involved, I BELIEVE the quality of education will increase in this city and I BELIEVE after sustained success is evident, this city will again believe in its own system of public education and hope will be restored.

To find out more about Andres Antonio Alonso, the man and his mission, visit:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-alonso,0,3267664.storygallery

The Uninformed Public

Today, The Boston Globe published an article titled, "Hub teachers reject public service corps."  In this article, writer Jamie Vaznis details the Boston Teachers Union's rejection of Teach For America corps members to enter their school system this fall.  Hailing from the Boston metro area and a TFA corps members myself, I will admit that I have a particular, and biased for that matter, opinion on the matter.  However, the basis of this blog is not so much the general issue of the union's ill sentiment toward the charter corps of 20 that will enter Boston classrooms this coming August.  Rather, I draw your attention to the comments made by the union president, as well as the comments left by readers online.

In a letter (presumably to Teach For America and/or the Boston Public School District), union president Keith Stutman writes, "you are only making the matters worse."  Citing "resume builders" and the notion of merely teaching for a while before moving on to something bigger and better.  Also, in the article Vaznis references the attempts in Detroit of some education advocacy and reform groups to rebuild the Teach For America corps after it was eliminated about five years ago due to budget shortfalls. Detroit teacher union president Keith Johnson said that teaching was a "pit stop to becoming corporate executives." 

This corps member, for one, is on no road leading to a corporation or executive-ship.  But, I digress...

The union presidents, as well as those from the public commenting (in some cases in apparent rage) on the article frequently reference teacher credentials, degrees earned, certification, partial certification and so on, for the primary reasons why veteran teachers in the system should not be replaced by TFA corps members (as an aside, the Boston school system says the incoming corps of 20 will be used to help fill up to 200 potential vacancies created by retirement, and will not function as replacements of laid off experienced teachers).  For as much power as I anticipate the Boston Teacher's Union has, and considering the power those making comments on the article have, as they are the very constituents who vote in the people responsible for reforming our education system, it frightens me how partially informed  they are about what truly goes on in failing schools.

These two powerful voting bodies, albeit only a small percentage of them are represented, are essentially saying: "You've got the credentials on paper? Here, have some students."  Certainly there are hundreds of phenomenal teachers in my own school system who went through traditional certification routes and are making huge academic gains in their classrooms, classrooms that likely mirror the classrooms occupied by TFA corps members.  But, the tone of the comments from the public and union presidents seems to be suggesting, "we can't trust TFA corps members because we don't know what they're capable of - they don't have anything written on paper (the credentials) to prove they can be effective."  What I say, then, to counter the primary argument to stop this attempt at reform in Boston in its tracks is: how can we make a sweeping assumption that all teachers who have the credentials can be trusted either, as the public and unions seem to be doing?

Link to article: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/04/03/hub_teachers_reject_public_service_corps/?page=1

Latest on the stimulus bill

Yesterday’s New York Times carried the news that Secretary Duncan will require states to share comprehensive data on student achievement in order to receive the second phase of their educational stimulus aid. As far as I can tell, this differs from NCLB’s requirements in a significant regard: states do not need to show that they have made any progress- they just need to share the numbers, good or bad. Thus the requirement is not an “unfunded mandate” in the way that NCLB is, nor does it carry the punitive element of that legislation.

The story points out that this data will likely bring to light cases in which states have “dumbed down” assessments in order to meet NCLB standards, and that many teacher evaluation systems are, for all intents and purposes, shams. I wonder whether this data will be a catalyst for change (sunlight, as they say, is the best anesthetic), or whether state officials will once again find ways to doctor the numbers and understate the struggles their schools are facing.

The article closes with a quote from South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford, who plans to decline some of the stimulus money. He says that he does not dispute that his state’s schools are in a dismal state, but does dispute “whether spending an ever-increasing amount on education will fix the problem.” I wonder whether South Carolina’s state superintendent would take a similarly dismissive stance toward the stimulus money; I also wonder whether Governor Sanford would feel the same way about money for highway construction or law enforcement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/education/02educ.html?_r=1&ref=education

(Bonus for Maryland educators: the accompanying photo shows Duncan with Governor O'Malley at a Prince George's County elementary school)

Incentives and Retention

I had never considered what issues might exist for small districts in attracting and retaining teachers. Of course it makes sense that smaller school districts might not be able to pay teachers as much as larger school districts. A bill is currently in Congress that would increase incentives for teacher, both new and veteran, in small but high-priority school districts. The schools have to be small, with less than 1,000 students enrolled and have a student population of which 80% must be eligible for free or reduced lunch programs.
With the new bill, $1,000 would be paid to new teachers and $3,000 would be paid to veteran teachers (4 years or more in the district). These small schools need to offer something to compete with higher salaries of larger districts. I think that the retention bonus is something that could potentially attract teachers.
Baltimore City offered signing bonuses to teachers in qualifying schools or in specific disciplines, like science and math. There are no teacher retention bonuses in Baltimore City that I am aware of. However, just like these small school districts, retention is an issue that needs to be addressed. I wonder if it would be feasible to implement something like this in Baltimore City and what affect it could have on teacher retention.
http://www.thnews.com/article.php?id=7892

The new technology is pretty, but...

As a teacher at Frederick Douglass High School, I have seen my school in the media frequently this year-- sometimes in a positive light, sometimes in a not-so-positive light. With negative statements about my school coming from high levels of state government, it's refreshing when the media has something positive to say about the work we are doing. However, I sometimes wonder whether we are receiving praise for the wrong things. Students and teachers do amazing things every day, but these are frequently overlooked in favor of events that are, well, flashier.

Now, don't get me wrong-- the new computer lab that has been donated to our school is gorgeous, and I am extremely grateful to Verizon and to those who worked tirelessly to solicit the donations and to assemble the finished product. However, it was disheartening for me and for my students when we were told that we were not allowed to actually use the lab. My ninth-graders had written outstanding research papers, and it was very frustrating for them when I told them that they would not be able to type them, even when the technology was clearly in place. Currently, neither students nor teachers are allowed to use the lab, and nobody will respond to inquiries regarding when or if this policy will change.

Why is there such fanfare over something that in no way affects the lives of the students at Douglass? This past Friday, the students put on an incredible production, the Live Blacks in Wax. The students portrayed various characters from history, and they researched and wrote the parts themslves. Ella Fitzgerald sang, Debbie Allen danced, Will Smith rapped-- the students showcased their talents in exciting ways. Faculty members performed and designed the elaborate costumes and sets. It was a true community effort, and it passed unnoticed by the people who have been so critical of our school. I would like to see less focus on the glitzy technology and more focus on what really matters-- the awesome things students are doing here every day.

I can has technology training plz?

On Monday, Frederick Douglass High opened a brand new computer lab, created with donations from Verizon. Apparently this was an important enough event to draw Dr. Alonso, Sheila Dixon, and Governor O’Malley.

Don’t get me wrong – I think this new computer lab is great. It is becoming clearer and clearer everyday how important it is to teach technology literacy to our students. It is something that needs to be taught in every class, in every discipline.

But how are teachers keeping up with the explosion of technology? What professional development is being offered to keep teachers ahead of the curve? What professional development is being REQUIRED to keep teachers knowledgeable about technology?

At a faculty meeting just a few weeks ago I mentioned using blogs to access interesting lesson plans and ideas from other teachers. Another teacher at my table told me she really liked my “blobs” idea. Clearly, we’re dealing with a digital and generational divide.

But just because I’m young (and hip, or so I’d like to think) doesn’t mean that I’m the Internet or computer expert. Where is the PD on effectively using blogging in the classroom, on podcasts, on things that I haven’t thought of because I’m not an Internet expert?

High school math teachers were offered the following choices for the next professional development day:

HSA Algebra Benchmark Analysis
Pre-Ap Topics for AP Vertical Teams in Mathematics

I can has technology plz?

Attendance and Suspension

Attendance is a nuisance for any teacher in Baltimore City, and it is a huge contributing factor to many of the problems that students and teachers have. Getting to the root of this problem is ten-fold, concerning complicated issues such as perceptions about the value of school, parental involvement, and motivation. The Open Society Institute-Baltimore writes on their website, "One of the single most stunning statistics that illuminates why Baltimore is unsuccessful in educating its students is this: Every year, 20,000 students are repeatedly absent from class." This is a staggering number, but not a surprising one, if you work in the system. Student achievement would be significantly impacted if attendance was improved. However, OSI also writes "The OSI-Baltimore Education and Youth Development Program believes that the key to increasing achievement in Baltimore is to slash the numbers of students who are suspended, truant or otherwise absent from class." While I agree that there someone should be able to come up with a more effective way to discipline students, I do not agree that reducing suspensions hold the key for increasing achievement. However, OSI makes a good point when they question why schools would create for themselves and for students the same problems that we are trying to combat in terms of attendance...Trying to get kids to come to school, then sending them back out. Students get suspended at my school when they don't have their uniform more than once or twice. This is clearly a trivial cause for suspension, but what other options does the school have, after they use up the few that they do have?

Sometimes I watch kids moving through the school day, and I am sometimes struck by a certain tension. I have a student who was just locked up for about 3 months. Yesterday was his first day back, first day out of a cell. He came in, was brushed aside for a schedule, and walked around for a couple of hours until he was caught doing something ridiculous, and sent to an administrator. I was surprised he lasted those few hours. When kids miss a ton of school, for whatever reason, it is not surprising that they are going to mess around- they have no idea what going on, and it seems that many of them are not accustomed to sitting for instruction. This kid was a poster child for an at risk student before being locked up- spotty attendance, behavior problems, multiple suspensions. OSI writes, "Alarmingly, neither the Baltimore community nor its schools have responded consistently and aggressively to stem the epidemic of student absences and school exclusions. The failure to do so has contributed mightily to the high rates of school failure, dropout, drug and juvenile justice involvement that plague our city." There was some talk in the beginning of the year about fining parents whose children were absent too often. I am not sure that this is the most reasonable answer, especially if you have ever met a 17 year old with a mind of their own, but certainly serious aggression is in order.

Student Relationships v. Data

On March 12^th, New York times Op-Ed writer David Brooks wrote an article ‘No Picnic for Me either’ where he breaks down President Obama’s vision for American education and what Brooks thinks will happen with his plan. Essentially, Brooks breaks President Obama’s plan into two parts: good teachers need to be rewarded and our classrooms need to practice rigorous education. This sounds awesome. However, in practice, I do not know how this will work.

Brooks writes that Obama wants to track data by teacher level to see how students are or are not performing with one teacher’s instructional methods. This is supposed to weed out the “bad” teachers. Brooks writes that “most important, it would increase merit pay for good teachers (the ones who develop emotional bonds with students) and dismiss bad teachers (the ones who treat students like cattle to be processed).” This is a hard thing to determine in my opinion.

There are teachers in my building who have very different management styles and methods for how they to talk to students. One could argue that as long as someone has the data showing that the students are learning then who cares whether you use sarcasm in a classroom or a belittle student, kids are learning. If the focus is going to be on data than that teacher can’t really be punished for meeting that academic standard. If, on the other hand, education reform decides to focus on the whole child, then perhaps the focus shouldn’t be on academic performance, but on progress.

Baltimore City should really think about which of these two reforms it wants to focus on. In my opinion, if you can create a solid support network for a student with understanding adults then the academic rigor will follow. But as long as teachers are going to have to equate their “success” with data rather than relationships they have with students, then data is what teachers will focus on. Hopefully, the time will come when every teacher will have good relationships with students and use data tracking, but until then, building relationships with students is where I think Baltimore City should focus most of its efforts in trying to reform our school system. The more love for our kids, the better.

Here's My Data...Now What?

The one thing uniting virtually every conversation about educational reform in recent years has been the emphasis placed on data.  The reason for this is two-fold: 1) provisions in No Child Left Behind require schoosl to quantify results and 2) a consensus is emergin that using data to inform instruction increases teacher effectiveness.  Perhaps this is why we just received a $6.5 million federal grant to build a new data collection system in Maryland.

As we move toward state/national standards, the method of reporting results will inevitably become more standardized.  It not only allows the Maryland State Department of Education to analyze statewide data more efficiently, but also helps to track an individual student after he/she transfers districts.  My immediate reaction is that a commitment to data is the correct approach, and any effort to streamline reporting should be welcomed.

Loookin at this issue more broadly, I think that statewide collection systems might finally cut down on the amount of misreporting that takes place within districts like Baltimore City.  It is more tempting for a principal to fudge the numbers if the district's system is not easily navigated by outside observers, but this is not the purpose of using data.  Only through an honest assessment of student achievement can we begin to isolate programs/schools that work.

In the end, though, this database of test scores means nothing if it is not then used to inform classroom instruction as much as it is public policymaking.  As state officials begin designing the system, I hope they are mindful of hte full potential of data application, which is two-fold: 1) we can hold our schools accountable for specific student outcomes and 2) we can think more critically about what actions are resulting in the data that we see--and then be pro-active in seeking solutions.

Data is not something to be celebrated or condemned and then put away; it is a means to an end.  That end is student achievement, but we will only get there if we invest (and train) our teachers to use their data wisely and regularly make adjustments that move students forward.  In this light, it might also be a wise investment for Maryland to help failing schools apply their data in the classroom, not just report it and go back to business as usual.

National Standards

On Saturday morning, Dr. Alonso addressed the second year MAT graduates at Hopkins. Despite being ill, he spoke very well, and I really keyed into the his comments on National Standards for education. He talked about how the movement in the past decade has been for national accountability through No Child Left Behind, but that it has been very open to the states to set their standards and form their own assessments. To some degree this makes sense without question - schools across the country are essentially being compared, it is only fair for them to be compared based on the same criteria. However, it is a constitutionally defined issue: education is a state's right. Therefore, each state should have the authority to define what the children in that jurisdiction should know and be able to do. So how do we balance the constitutional issue with comparing cities and states and schools on an equal level? Does this mean we need a constitutional amendment claiming education to be a federal responsibility? That would cause a mess of funding issues - states are not going to want to pay for what they cannot control... Or does it mean that we need to do with national comparisons since the tests and standards are not the same.

Another issue this brings up is America's place in the global market. Studies like the TIMSS keep being published comparing the United States to other countries around the world. Those competitors have a unified national curriculum, so when finding average scores of the country they are actually representative of what all children know or at least have been taught. When trying to give a similar assessment to students in the United States, it is harder to generalize because there are 50 different sets of standards trying to be compiled into one analysis. If there were a national curriculum and national assessments, it would become much easier and clearer to compare the United States, as a country rather than as 50 independent entities, to other developing countries that are united, at least educationally, under one policy.

My school is closing… so what now?

Quite a hot topic around BCPS in the past month has been the proposed closings and restructuring of many of city schools. I think this sends a message to all schools that if you don’t get your act together, we mean business. I don’t necessarily disagree with the decisions being made. As a teacher of one of those schools proposed to close, I truly believe that it is the best possible decision. However, I can only speak for my situation.

Bottom line is that there are many reasons a school should be closed. Dropping enrollment and extreme acts of violence coupled with a failing record and an administration that just isn’t cutting it, spells DISASTER!

I don’t know if a new administration could really wipe the slate clean and set the record straight. The students have gotten comfortable with the status quo and it would take an extremely strong leader to uproot their corrupt ways. One concern I have is just shipping these conditioned students to different schools going to make a real difference in the life of the students. One thing I know is that it only takes a couple of students who are not interested in learning to disrupt an entire class. I can see some of my current students spreading out to terrorize other schools. I guess the hope is that they will enter schools where things are going moderately well and the students will be reigned in.

Another concern I have is for the good students who see our school as a better place to be than some of the options being presented to them. They can’t reason why they should be sent to another school where violence is also a problem and AYP is also not being met. Dr. Alonso had made the claim that he wants all of his schools to be a place where kids would want to be, great goal! I know that many of my students look forward to the closing of our school, but some dread being sent back to the schools they worked very hard to escape.

I also feel the timing, although necessary for due process to take place, was terrible. The week before the big test these students were basically told it doesn’t matter how you perform you are going to be shut down. I had several students boasting the notion of saving the school. Others I had to convince would need to try their best so they too can get into the best school possible. Either way the message from North Ave. was clear, your success doesn’t matter. I know that closing the school is the best possible solution to the plague of negativity that has been seeping through the walls for years, but I wonder if the walls of their destination schools might not be seeping the same….

Bringing the Harlem Children's Zone to Baltimore?

This evening I attended a talk by Paul Tough, the author of Whatever it Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America at Johns Hopkins University. The Harlem Children’s Zone, Canada’s $60 billion dollar program that serves children in 97 city blocks in a high-poverty New York City neighborhood, takes a holistic approach to provide a comprehensive education and support services to children from birth to college. The HCZ initiative, recognizing that the achievement gap is present at as early as 12 months of age, teaches parenting skills, provides health and social services, and, for those students lucky enough to win admission to one of the charter schools, works intensively to provide students with both the cognitive and the non-cognitive skills necessary for graduating from college and becoming successful members of society.

By investing in a 20-city replication of HCZ, Promise Neighborhoods, President Obama has made progress towards his campaign promise to combat poverty through education reform. The recently released 2010 budget includes support for Promise Neighborhoods, a significant vote of confidence in the program and a step towards enacting large-scale change. Baltimore has moved to bring HCZ to the western part of the city—in late 2008 Alonso and other city representatives visited Harlem to see the program in person. While Baltimore has schools that offer a more holistic approach to education than traditional academic programs (e.g. the recently-opened Maryland SEED school), the “full wrap-around service” provided by an HCZ-style system has the potential to effect real change in breaking down generational poverty in the city.

As a teacher who spends most of her hours focusing on her students and classroom, it is refreshing to contemplate the big picture again. My students, eleventh and twelfth graders, function far below grade level, and many struggle with the basic literacy skills that they should have attained in the elementary grades. While we should continue to seek effective ways to educate students such as mine, we need to focus our attention on the youngest generation. By providing early and intensive education, support, and enrichment, we can propel our most at-risk children to success before they have the chance to fall behind.

Fair School Funding in Maryland and the Stimulus Package

I recently finished Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol and upon completion of this book took a moment to examine the differences between school funding in Baltimore City and Howard County. What I found initially seemed a step in the right direction to ensuring that all students, regardless of where they are born, would have an opportunity to receive an education of equal quality.

What I discovered was the Baltimore City received roughly $2205 less per student than the students attending school in Howard County, a difference of 20% less money in Baltimore City. Although a disparity, it seems a far cry from the doubling in per student funding that was occurring in Kozol’s 1991 release of Savage Inequalities.

Then I stopped and took a moment to do the math. Baltimore City services 92,358 students. So 92,358 students times $2205 per student, just what does this equate to… $203,649,390, yes that $203 million and change A YEAR! This startling realization really got me thinking what we, the Baltimore City Schools, could do with this extra $203 million a year. I’m not a math teacher, but must admit my love of numbers and this opportunity to discuss them.

Given the fact the current estimates in Florida is that it costs roughly $23,000 per student to construct a new high school we could theoretically build brand new high schools for approximately 8,800 students. Or, we could refurbish many of our aging buildings with new windows, paint, lockers, books, and other necessary supplies. Alternatively, we could also invest in technology to bring working computers, LCD projectors, and lab equipment to provide our students the skills they will need to succeed in a world that will continue to think and act more globally. On the other hand we could invest in smaller classes by hiring more teachers, not only in our tested subject areas, but also as a means to expand our curriculum and provide greater choice to our students to match that of more affluent districts. A quick Google search turned up the following class list from Santa Ana, California 4 English listing for each grade level, 3 levels of math offerings in sophomore and junior years, with senior level statistics, college algebra, and calculus, 6 classes of world history including Advanced Placement, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Sciences to Chemistry to Biology, to Advanced Anatomy and Physiology, Dance, and Aerobics. This, I’m sure isn’t even the most comprehensive list you could find with some searching.

Given the difference this $2205 per student makes, it only heightens the responsible use of the over $100 billion dollars President Obama and Congress recently approved for education spending as part of the recent highly publicized economic stimulus package. According to the roll out plan for that money $20 billion is earmarked for school modernization, $100 million for school construction (I wonder if that’s really enough, considering it can cost in the tens of millions of dollars for one middle school), $13 billion to help special education programs, $13 billion for Title I programs and schools, and a whole host of other schools. I just hope its time we get a fair chance at the pie here in Baltimore, for our students sake.

Counseling for Students in the Face of More School Violence

When did we begin to think of a stabbing outside of a school as a mundane incident? In the face of more violence in our Baltimore City Schools we seem to do nothing as a school system or society to prevent or mediate the increasing level of conflict and violence that young urban students face.

Within our schools, most administrators’ hands are tied by the bureaucratic code which does not allow them to discipline serious first time offenses. It is only after a student has repeatedly done something wrong that he/she can face more severe disciplinary action.But what type of message does this send to the student body at large and the multitude of students who do follow the rules every day. It shows those students that there are no consequences for their bad choices or violent actions. It tempts the student who is angry over what may be a minor incident to act out because there are no visible limitations. Furthermore, when those dangerous, disturbing and rather violent incidents do occur, like the stabbing outside of one school or the riot inside another, the news and media often get the details wrong or ignore it entirely. Meanwhile the school often tries its best to make the incident disappear as quickly as possible, and the students and teachers receive little news of what steps are being taken, or counseling. These actions ultimately, are what can make a student feel as though his/her life has little value within our society.

In any other school system, a student’s death, serious injury, or a violent action would be addressed within the entire student body. Students should have a safe space to speak and reflect on the incident and their own actions. School reform will ultimately take many different forms some will be of an administrative nature, others will be more academic in scope, but we cannot forget that our students have young, impressionable minds and they are not as immune to the violence around them as many would like to believe. Schools have the potential to shape a person’s character;I do not think that we should ignore this side of our many responsibilities. We must find spaces to discuss these issues and we cannot continue to treat incidences of rebellion and violence as “normal”.