Blemished Records – Case Study Blog
In recent years educators have been faced with a growing problem with student discipline. New problems have arisen with students having access to the internet and multimedia. Terms like cyber-bullying, slam books, and terroristic threats were not in our vocabulary or an issue for the school districts when we were kids. Students of the 20th century took pride in their school and did not want to do anything to blemish the respectable name of their institutions. Even in high crime neighborhoods, students felt save at school. School was a refuge from the daily dilemmas of home life and community issues affecting the students. The same integrity of the 20th century students no longer exists with most of the students of the 21st century, especially students in our urban areas.
Campus school violence and use of weapons have increased over the past decade. Columbine High School was the first nationally publicized school shooting that left the country in fear of sending their kids to school. The country mourned for the lives loss and was left with questions of how this happened? My opinion of how and why it happened is simple. Administrators have relaxed expectations of the students and/or not addressing low offenses for to make discipline issues seem low level on their campus. The problem is students have become increasingly aware of the infractions they can escape discipline from and those that may cause more attention. What kind of message are we sending to our kids? Are we exhibiting ethical behavior by overlooking such acts?
In the State of Texas, discipline has been placed on the front burners. The discipline infractions that have led to tickets and/or arrests have overwhelmingly increased. In 2009, over 275, 000 tickets were issued as a Class C misdemeanor. The identified trends based from school districts are disturbing, including but not limited to a likely over-representation of minority and special education students in ticketing, arrest and use of force incidents. I was not surprised by this information. What was a surprise to me was the fact that so many of these juveniles entered the system for very minor infractions and some at such a young age. The Texas Appleseed researches and reports on the impact of school discipline policies; ticketing, arrest and use of force in public schools; court involvement in student discipline; and the effectiveness of alternative education programs to help close pathways to dropout and incarceration. A report conducted by them is showing an increasing number of students whose discipline is no longer being handled in the schoolhouse but rather in the courthouse.
Ryan Kellus Turner and Mark Goodner state that in the last 2 decades students in the Lone Star State have been a part of a paradigm shift in discipline. Misdeeds of students which once led to the principal’s office, corporal punishment and supervised laps on the track by coaches are now resulting in criminal prosecution. Criminal records, punitive fines and heft court costs are being imposed on students age 10 – 16. Students under the age of 10 are not supposed to receive tickets but there has been some investigating by Fox News which states a 6 year old was ticketed. Students over the age of 16 are no longer charged with a misdemeanor but possibly a felony and charged as an adult. 1, 486 tickets were issued as felony offences in the State of Texas to school age students.
We must do a better job as educators and administrators with the implementation of alternative punishments instead of tickets. The use of tickets has become a national academic issue. Tickets are being issued for very minor offenses. Educators must regain control of their classroom and stop hindering the progress of students. The School to Prison Pipeline is the widespread pattern in the United States of pushing students, especially those who are already at a disadvantage, out of school and into the criminal justice system. This pipeline is the result of public institutions neglecting to properly address students as individuals who might need extra educational or social assistance, or being unable to do so because of staffing shortages or statutory mandates. The resulting mis-education and mass incarceration create a vicious circle for individuals and communities. This is not our thrust as educators. We are to motivate and educate the students academically, as well as socially. We must teach character education in schools. We must gain a rapport with the students which will significantly decrease the classroom discipline issues.
The enforcement of tickets is causing a decrease graduation rates and increase in drop out rates. It is also hindering the progress of students who were able to overcome the ticket by now affecting their application to college and some jobs. We are to ethically discipline students which will deter misbehavior but encourage redemption and academic success.
Ryan Kellus Turner and Mark Goodner state that in the last 2 decades students in the Lone Star State have been a part of a paradigm shift in discipline. Misdeeds of students which once led to the principal’s office, corporal punishment and supervised laps on the track by coaches are now resulting in criminal prosecution. Criminal records, punitive fines and heft court costs are being imposed on students age 10 – 16. Students under the age of 10 are not supposed to receive tickets but there has been some investigating by Fox News which states a 6 year old was ticketed. Students over the age of 16 are no longer charged with a misdemeanor but possibly a felony and charged as an adult. 1, 486 tickets were issued as felony offences in the State of Texas to school age students.
We must do a better job as educators and administrators with the implementation of alternative punishments instead of tickets. The use of tickets has become a national academic issue. Tickets are being issued for very minor offenses. Educators must regain control of their classroom and stop hindering the progress of students. The School to Prison Pipeline is the widespread pattern in the United States of pushing students, especially those who are already at a disadvantage, out of school and into the criminal justice system. This pipeline is the result of public institutions neglecting to properly address students as individuals who might need extra educational or social assistance, or being unable to do so because of staffing shortages or statutory mandates. The resulting mis-education and mass incarceration create a vicious circle for individuals and communities. This is not our thrust as educators. We are to motivate and educate the students academically, as well as socially. We must teach character education in schools. We must gain a rapport with the students which will significantly decrease the classroom discipline issues.
The enforcement of tickets is causing a decrease graduation rates and increase in drop out rates. It is also hindering the progress of students who were able to overcome the ticket by now affecting their application to college and some jobs. We are to ethically discipline students which will deter misbehavior but encourage redemption and academic success.
No comments:
Post a Comment