As reported in the Wisconsin State Journal, zero tolerance policies applied blindly are not the only way or best way to approach school discipline.
The Madison school district has introduced a “fix-it plan” alternative to the standard discipinary measures. The students involved (such as in a schoolyard fight) are given the option of coming up with their own plan for discipline. The one described in the article had two fighting children electing to spend two days of recess playing catch with a football with each other exclusively.
The system is working. This particular article has a lot of information about the positive benefits and you should read it now. Next time someone tells you zero tolerance is the right solution for school discipline, describe Madison’s solution as a total rebuttal of that contention.
Janesville School Board votes to expel five students
Last year Janesville had a strong finish, wrapping up the season with an eight expulsion performance. They’ve held the momentum through the off season and their stunning five expulsion return on the 18th brings their annual tally to seven. At this point last season they had managed only a single expulsion.
The students were accused of:
– Going to Parker High School with the intention of starting a fight. This student was expelled through his or her 21st birthday.
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– Going to Parker High School to incite a fight and possessing a baseball bat on school grounds. She or he was expelled through the end of the 2006-07 school year
– Fighting and repeatedly refusing or neglecting to obey school rules. He or she was expelled through the end of the 2007-08 school year.
– Fighting and repeatedly refusing or neglecting to obey school district rules and participating in gang activity. The student was expelled through his or her 21st birthday.
– Possessing marijuana on school grounds. She or he was expelled through the end of the 2006-07 school year
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Janesville schools expel eight
Janesville Schools wrapped up its 2004-2005 school expulsions with a whopping eight expulsions in a single session. Even with this strong finish the school system fell short of its expulsion record of 50 set last year.
Five of the expulsions were for possession of marijuana. The terms of expulsion ranged from a couple of months for a middle schooler up to a permanent expulsion with no chance of reinstatement for a high school student. Quite the range there.
The headline expulsion was for striking a teacher. The teacher was struck while trying to break up a fight between two students. The teacher was not injured and the blow was not intentional. The student was expelled for two years with no possibility of returning earlier.
In addition there was:
–A middle school student, accused of repeatedly refusing or neglecting to obey school rules, expelled through the first semester of the coming school year.
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–A high school student, accused of possessing a knife with a blade 3.75 inches long on school grounds, expelled through his or her 21st birthday with no possibility of reinstatement.
Permanent expulsion with no chance of rehabilitation for possession of marijuana or a pocket knife. What does it say about our schools when their punishments are more severe than the criminal justice system’s?
Contact Information:
Superintendent Dr.Thomas Evert
School Suspends Boy for Wearing Prom Dress
Kerry Lofy, a senior at Lake Geneva Badger High School in the Lake Geneva Area School District, went to his prom with his gay friend. He himself is straight. The school didn’t have a problem with his date but it did have a problem with his ensemble. Lofy was suspended for three days for wearing a dress to the prom.
“I thought it would be more appropriate for there to be one person dressed like a girl and a person dressed like a guy, than for there to be two guys to go,” said Lofy, a member of the school’s track, ski, powerlifting and soccer teams.
Also, he thought people would find it funny to see a 6-foot, 185-pound male in a black, stretchy, spaghetti-strap dress.
When Lofy showed up in the dress, a blond wig, open-toed platform sandals, blue earrings and a necklace, teachers turned him away. He said he showed up later with a tan-and-black plaid leisure suit over the dress, went inside and whipped off the suit during a dance-off. A security guard escorted him out, he said.
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FdL student expelled for knife at school
A 15 year-old student brought a knife to school. There is no description of the knife so we can’t tell if it was a butter knife, steak knife, pocketknife or other. We can infer from the quoted remarks that he didn’t do anything with it except bring it to school. His punishment?
At a closed meeting held Monday, the Fond du Lac Board of Education decided to expel the student for the rest of this school year and for the 2005-2006 school year.
The entire remainder of this school year plus all of the next school year. There are felonies that don’t carry sentences that steep. The Board is destroying this boy’s public education because he created a dangerous situation. He didn’t actually do anything except possess a prohibited item but the Board is treating that simple possession as if it was aggravated improper use with malice aforethought.
MPS fails to protect victims from additional harm, insiders say
A female senior at Rufus King High School was forced to perform oral sex on a male student. When she reported the sexual assault she was promptly suspended without explanation.
An assistant district attorney sent a sharply worded letter to the school district asking that her record be cleared. Her mother has spoken out on the case, demanding action. News coverage prompted an internal investigation.
So far, nothing has changed.
I think they’re using the same logic here that they use to punish students who refuse to be beaten. You are participating in a prohibited act. It does not matter that you are being forced to do it. You are involved so you will be punished.
This is particularly frightening though. A few weeks ago there was a conversation in a comment thread here about what would happen if a girl was being raped in a stairwell and tried to fight back. At Rufus King High School the fighting back would be academic - she would be suspended anyway for committing a sex act at school.
(Tip credit to Bettina)
Muskego boy faces sexual assault charge
A 16 year old student gave his ex-girlfriend a wedgie. He was suspended for five days. He was also arrested and faces criminal charges of sexual assault.
Police were called to Muskego High School, W183-S8750 Racine Ave., at about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 for an alleged assault, Capt. Paul Geiszler said.
The girl told police that she was getting ready for band practice at about 5:30 p.m. and that when she came out of the locker room, she was confronted by the 16-year-old boy, the report says.
As the girl started to walk away from him, the report says, the boy grabbed her, and the girl’s friend screamed for the boy to put her down.
The girl left the area and went to band practice. She was crying. She told the band instructor but was too embarrassed to tell him the full story, the report says, but another student told the teacher what had occurred, and police were called.
The boy told investigators that he was “just joking around” but that he may have gone too far. He said that he was sorry and that he “would do anything to make it up to her if he could.”
The boy was arrested, handcuffed and taken to the Muskego Police Department from the school.
Okay, this kid is an idiot. You don’t give wedgies to girls. You just don’t. I fully agree with the suspension here but arresting the punk and taking him to jail is a bit of overkill. If the girl herself had wanted him arrested that would be one thing but it was the school itself that called in the cops.
(Tip credit to the Thief)
Updated 09 June 2004: ACLU opines on yearbook kerfuffle (at bottom of post)
PHS disallows portrait with firearm
Pewaukee High School senior Tyler Schultz submitted his picture in time and it was approved by the yearbook adviser. On May 26 he was informed that it was inappropriate after all. The picture shows the rebel flag in the background and shows Shultz wearing a cowboy hat and holding his shotgun.
“It (the photo) was very tastefully done,” said Tammy Ankomeus, Schultz’s mother. She also pointed out that students were encouraged by the school to show their personality in their photos, portraying themselves with sports equipment or other items that they identified with.
Schultz uses the shotgun at Menomonee Falls Rod and Gun Club, where he has been trap shooting since age 15.
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