rocco45 t1_j15xin6 wrote
Reply to comment by BsFan in Parents, students take issue with handling of violence at Medford High School: Students walked out of class on Wednesday to protest what they described as an unsafe learning environment. by TouchDownBurrito
As a teacher, this is one of my biggest gripes. We have students with behavioral problems (not this extreme) that require near constant levels of support. I get wanting a less restrictive environment, but the conversation is always about the student with the problems, never about the other students negatively effected.
Effective_Golf_3311 t1_j16jrww wrote
My father (principal of nearly 15 years) said his crowning achievement was separating the shithead kids from the good kids and raising test scores by some insane amount.
Had to be done slowly and in a way that raised no eyebrows. But he did it and the good/decent/on the border kids made out huge and set all sorts of records for SATs/ACTs as well as college attendance and the shitty kids are doing whatever now. They got the same classes but they chose to do nothing and are now dealing with those repercussions of their choices
[deleted] t1_j16mev0 wrote
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Effective_Golf_3311 t1_j16n6qh wrote
No, there was no profiling involved. They made their decisions and chose their paths. He always felt for them but he still never stopped trying to show them the right way despite what their parents had taught them. He once gave a kid his own leather belt when he told the kid he’d be suspended for having sagging pants and the kid began to cry. He asked why he cried and he said he had been asking his parents for a belt for a long time but they couldn’t afford one. So my dad gave him his.
Lo and behold this kid suddenly found a role model in my father and used to show up 2 hours prior to school (when my dad showed for work) and would stay an hour late just to be a gopher and learn life lessons.
By senior year he was earning grades that were going to get him in to college. Walked across the stage wearing the same belt he was gifted 3 years prior.
Cameron_james t1_j16p3vc wrote
> I get wanting a less restrictive environment, but the conversation is always about the student with the problems, never about the other students negatively effected
It's $$$. School systems could send the children who exhibit violence - the ones who stab, the ones who throw chairs, the ones who grab others by the throat - to alternative schools with supportive staff who are experts in this field. But it costs more so they roll the dice that there won't be too many Colleen Ritzers or student victims.
We want amazing, incredible schools, yet we want low, low taxes. We want amazing public transportation and infrastructure for private transportation, yet we want low, low taxes. We want Mass and Cass to be safe and homeless free, yet we want low, low taxes. Etc, etc, etc...
We want an incredible society that runs smoothly, yet we half-ass everything.
Chippopotanuse t1_j184pzw wrote
Yes this does cost money.
And yes, lots of folks are misers and losers who aren’t willing to find schools properly to deal with the problem kids.
But - Mass did just vote for a 9% surtax on incomes over $1m to raise a few billion for more education funding.
Cameron_james t1_j18eg33 wrote
If the legislature holds current budget levels and ADDS that money in, we can attack some of these therapeutic and socioeconomic needs. I'm still cautious that it becomes new money in to maintain budget levels.
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