DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, January 31, 2008
OMG, Can You Believe This?
"Joe, your blog has shed light on gang conduct at James M. Bennett Sr. High. The administration has tried to be vigilant in its efforts to protect students and staff. Now they have been told that the total of suspensions for this year is too high and from now on profanity will not be a suspendable offense and serious violence that would have been a given a 10-day suspension will merit only 5. Why are the statistics more important than safety? Lower suspension numbers don't mean students are behaving better; they mean the system is tolerating outrageous conduct. When the thugs are suspended, it might not help them, but the other kids can get an education. The thugs don't come to learn anyway so there's no real difference in how much education they get whether they're there or not. Suspend as warranted and let everyone see what schools are dealing with."
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20 comments:
Well, the post is and isn't true at my Wicomico County school. We were informed at a faculty meeting about two weeks ago that the county was be watched due to high Special Education suspensions. The county created a new form to track "1s" (special ed) and "2s" (regular students). Non-special ed students can be punished. But special ed students are to be punished sparingly because of statistical data collected in connection with No Child Left Behind.
Realistically, the MDs in the county don't help. They write notes labeling misbehaving students as "emotional disturbed" or "attention deficit." Then, the school is reluctant to suspend because of money connected with Special Ed stats.
Lesson: If your child misbehaves, get a doctor to diagnose them ADHD. Then, No Child Left Behind will shield them from punishment in Wicomico County. Non-SpEd students see it happening too!
I can totally believe it! Speaking from direct experience, some schools, especially Bennet Middle, seem to have a revolving door effect with conduct regardless of gang affiliations or not. There is not enough enforcement of standards and the disregarding of rules and common respect are staggering. It is easy to see these students past history and future history of where they are going to end up.
To many teachers defense, it starts at home, but the schools are still obligatory actors of the State to maintain discipline and conduct the State function of education.
I was talking to a local law enforcement officer and joked "we should put jailcells in the schools for discipline and to show them where they were heading, a little extreme, but makes the point"
He responded "your right, its sad but true. I arrested their parents and now i'm going to have to arrest them. it's a sad cycle and i hope it gets better. these kids need help"
this town needs help
"We were informed at a faculty meeting about two weeks ago that the county was be watched due to high Special Education suspensions."
This is true but you need to know why this is the case...what was not said is that funding is tied to the disproportionality of special ed. students being suspended. If our county, along with all MD counties, do not look into this, we will lose huge federal funding dollars. Tell that to parents when we lost 1M in funding for your spec. ed. child.
Granted, there are different rules that must be followed with spec. ed. discipline but that is not our county's fault. This is a Federal mandate...our schools just have to follow in line.
"Lesson: If your child misbehaves, get a doctor to diagnose them ADHD. Then, No Child Left Behind will shield them from punishment in Wicomico County. Non-SpEd students see it happening too!"
Hey dumbass...most kids that just have ADHD get a 504 plan and not an IEP...students with 504s are disciplined the same way as a non-special ed. student...they don't get special treatment
Bennett Middle has been the leader in suspension's due to these non preforming,no-respect brats attitudes toward the teachers and performance students.They have no respect for their own families and the majority of them do not know whom their dad is. The only thing they respect is force and Juvenile Services is a joke to them.Every damn one of them should be left behind.
o please!!! ADHD is the most mis diagnosed and over diagnosed condition out there. what does it equal? lazy doctors who don't wanna do their jobs and tell parent their kids are f**ked up because of the way they are raising them.
Anon at 7:13 PM
You are right on with your views on the issues both in the schools and outside of schools.
ADHD,Special Ed,Non-special,no child left behind, are all excuses for lack of parenting, as well as govermental intrusion into our lives and responsbilities to take care of our own.
In todays world our schools and teachers have replaced what used to be known as orphanages.
Make sure you send your "Thank You" letters to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC. I am sure the architect of this funding idea would love to hear from all of us.
There is alot of screwed up mess at that and all schools in this county. They do not follow thier policys. One in paticular is the dress code. The girls go to school damn near naked and thats ok but as soon as something was to happen to her by a teacher or someone else its a big deal.. It is her fault to start with i think.
Secrecy is a key element of Wicomico Board of Ed. policy. Nothing in the newspaper about these high suspension figures and out-of-control student conduct. Nothing about the number of students who have their own personal one-on-one assistants all day every day. This costs about one million dollars. Nothing about the 10% bonus (above the 4% raise) being given for EACH of the next three years to ALL Bd. employees retiring within that period of time. This Early Notification Program (ENP) will cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars but is never mentioned in articles about the budget. So many parents and kids having to do so many fundraisers . . .
BULLSHIT, basically if your kid is a gang banger and you have no accoutablility of him and he getts in trouble you blame everyone BUT yourself.
This is what happens when society treats people like we OSE them something because of how they were treated as slaves.
If anyone is due it is American Indian... But they dont complain, nor blame the schools or society.
Well, why dont we track tehm by race, no we cant do that.... it would be descrimination.
The ENP will save money. Compare the salary of a 30+ year veteran, likely with a Master's degree + 30 credits (roughly $80k) to a new teacher (under $40K). Do the math. And it's not for everyone retiring in that time period either. Do a little research.
Test data is tracked by group, and the only groups that matter are African-Americans, Special Ed. students, free and reduced lunch students, and children whose first language is not English. Some children are in three of these groups so their low scores are counted three times. Within a few years, 100% of children in these groups are to be proficient. Can you imagine how much money is spent trying to get ALL of these children to be proficient???? No one considers that this goal is ridiculous and that some children are just not mentally capable of being proficient on grade-level work. Well, to make sure none are left behind, hundreds are held back.
I have 2 children(10 years apart in age) that are ADD and were in a IEP. I say this because what I said then goes now. If they act up I want to know and it will not happen again!.I told them if I could send you to school with a note on your back that said 'paddle at will' I would. Its a shame we've moved away from that.I do want to add, My children have never been a problem never seen in the office for a problem. But then again , they KNOW me in the office and through out the school. My point is you have to be INVOLVED with the school. They should not ask but require a parent or guardian to be involved in every aspect of the kids day. Then hold them accountable. If you say well both parents are in jail, well someone is feeding and caring for this child...
(so please those out there saying IEP or ADD kids are getting away with bad behavior , MINE ARE NOT and will not be). The difference is MY kids as well as the school knows bad behavior will not be tolerated.
My daughter is a senior in The Wicomico School system, she has ADD
she has never had a 504 or an IEP.
She has a 4.0GPA and has never been suspended or had detention due to behavior problems. I don't think she is an exception. I think the difference is she has been raised by parents who have been involved in the school system and have set good behavior examples.
It all begins at HOME.
If the purpose of the ENP is to get veteran educators to retire so the system can save money, someone at the Bd of Ed needs to be honest enough to say that. Reasons given for ENP are that it helps to maintain a highly qualified workforce and that it helps the Bd. plan for vacancies. Either way, the program is never mentioned in articles about the Bd. budget.
Why in this world would the Wicomico Board of Ed want to start a program to get its veterans to retire? When they leave in droves, that's a blow to the system or do we think misbehaving students behave better for brand new teachers? NOT!!! Also, I think this 10% bonus applies to principals and those at the central office. They will not be replaced by people working for $40,000 a year. Little money will be saved when they're replaced so why give them such a huge bonus? 10% of their salary is far more than that of a teacher, isn't it?
To: 10:54PM
You neglected to mention one important fact: Wicomico teachers with 30+ years experience and a Masters + 30 were NOT earning $80,000 before the 10% bonus was added this year. The salary was closer to $70,000. So saving $40,000 for each new teacher hired could not have been the purpose of the ENP, because that was not the difference in earnings before the huge bonus was added. Very clever but very misleading to use the salary after the bonus.
Anonymous 8:04
"The girls go to school damn near naked and thats ok but as soon as something was to happen to her by a teacher or someone else its a big deal. It is her fault to start with i think."
I agree that how some girls dress and go to school is horrible and are lacking parental supervision on age appropriate attire but I take offense at your statement about teachers. Teachers are there to teach classroom subjects not extra curricular subjects or to use students to live out perverted fantasies. NO means NO regardless of the age or age differences and for an underage student the NO is mandated. Even “were something to happen” between two students I agree that the provocative dress of the girl would play a part in the “something”, but there again, NO means NO and if a NO were not forthcoming then it goes back to parental responsibility of both students parents.
If I could get a penny for everytime I've heard "my child's hanging around with the wrong crowd". When does it come to the realization that their child IS the wrong crowd?????
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