It seemed like a normal day after school. I cleaned up my classroom, stowed my projector, double-checked that I completed my attendance, and walked to my car hoping we’d get some snow. I shook off all the cursing, fighting, shouting, and students running around the hallways craving a more peaceful tomorrow.
I turned on NPR. The reporter said that Baltimore City Public Schools had introduced a new program that financially incentivizes administrators to not suspend students. How much? $9,500. My blood began boiling. The CEO of City Schools, Andres Alonso, said that students should be in school. I couldn’t agree more. Students should be in school, but not at the expense of the safety of the students and staff.
I work at a school where the students vary in age from 11 to 20-years-old. When gang violence enters the building, when drugs enter the building, when sexual harassment enters the building, when weapons enter the building, it makes other people unsafe and it limits their rights to be educated in a safe environment. Additionally, what kind of message does it send to our students to say, “you fought but now you have to go to class” or “you shouldn’t sell pot to a 7th grader, but I want my $9,500 so go back to class.”
What is a teacher to do when their students won’t be suspended for fighting in their classroom? Give them a consequence? That is where administration is supposed to step-in and show that student and other students that certain behaviors are intolerable. What happens in the real world if you break the rules? Fines, jail, decay of society. I do not believe in punishing students, but I do believe in having consequences for actions and, more importantly, keeping other students safe and giving them the education they deserve.
Read more from the Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-ci-suspension-bonus-program-20130114,0,6389037.story
No comments:
Post a Comment