A 6th grader

Police Briefs

Oct. 26

A student at Highview Sixth Grade, 106 S. Highview Road, was brought to the principal’s office because he was unruly. He was charged with disorderly conduct, and when the school resource officer Kenny King answered another call, the student ran out of the school. He was caught a few streets away and charged with obstruction of justice. His father was called numerous times and told school officials he was on his way, but he never showed. While in the cruiser, the boy was laughing and telling the officer everything was funny and he didn’t care what the judge said


BOOT CAMP WITH MILITARY INSTRUCTORS FOR THIS LAD. (AND HIS DAD). BUT, OF COURSE, HE'LL BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE WITH A SLAP ON THE HAND AND, LAUGHING AT THE AUTHORITIES......BE RIGHT BACK IN POLICE CUSTODY IN NO TIME HAVING LEARNED NOTHING. AIN'T IT GREAT THIS KINDER/GENTLER SOCIETY WE HAVE?

I look at this story a little differently. I see that an "unruly child" was removed from the classroom--so he did not continue to disturb other students. The principal involved the school resource police officer and the child's parent. This was handled appropriately. The child was not sent back to class by the principal.

Ms. Andrew:

"I see that an "unruly child" was removed from the classroom"....WHO WAS LAUGHING AT AUTHORITY FIGURES AND NOT HARDLY INTIMIDATED BY THE CURRENT DETERENTS IN PLACE. TOO KINDER/GENTLER IMO.

Ms. Andrew:

"The principal involved the school resource police officer and the child's parent. This was handled appropriately"......IF BY APPROPRIATELY YOU MEAN THAT IT WAS OK FOR THE PARENT TO CONTINUALLY TELL THE SCHOOL THEY WOULD SHOW, THEN DIDN'T, LEAVING THE SCHOOL TO HANDLE WHAT THE PARENT CHOSE NOT TO DO. GET THE PARENTS WORK NUMBER, CALL THEM AT WORK AND BOTHER THEM UNTIL THEY GET SO MAD THAT SHOWING UP IS BETTER THAN REPEATED PHONE CALLS AT WORK. PERHAPS PLACING THE PARENT'S JOB IN QUESTION/IF THE LIVELIHOOD IS THREATENED, THAT WILL GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO SOME OF THESE PARENTS. TOO KINDER/GENTLER IMO.

Ms. Andrew:

"As far as I know, it is not a crime to fail to pick your child up at school when called by the principal". SO WHERE IS THE DETERRENT OR "TEETH" IN YOU POLICIES, MS. ANDREW? APPARENTLY, THEY ARE TOO WEAK TO CAUSE THE RESPONSE YOU NEED TO FIX THE SITUATION. THIS PARENT DIDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. TOO KINDER/GENTLER IMO.

Ms. Andrew:

"Nor is it against any law to fail to teach your child how to behave properly in school and to respect teachers, principals, police officers and judges". AHH, BUT THERE SHOULD BE IF YOU WANT THE PROPER BEHAVIOR TO BE LEARNED TO FUNCTION IN SOCIETY. EVERYONE, WHETHER A SCHOOL KID, A YOUNG ADULT IN COLLEGE, THE WORKING WORLD, THE MILITARY, TEAM ATHLETICS, AN ADULT THAT HAS BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK OR A SENIOR CITIZEN HAS RULES IN SOCIETY TO LIVE BY. OTHERWISE, WE HAVE SOCIETY CHAOS AND ANARCHY. TIME FOR THEM TO LEARN IS WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG. GONNA BE DOING IT TO SOME DEGREE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. THE LAST THING WE NEED IS TO BREED LITTLE ONES WHO THUMB THEIR NOSES AT AUTHORITY FIGURES LIKE THIS STUDENT DID. YOUR POLICIES ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY SOME STUDENTS IN YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT MS. ANDREW. IT IS TIME TO DEVELOP TACTICS THAT WILL MOTIVATE THEM TO BEHAVE.......BUT THEN, AGAIN, WE HAVE TODAY'S POPULAR THEME OF KINDER/GENTLER AND FEAR OF LEGAL REPRISALS FROM THE PARENTS WHO ARE THE PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Ms. Andrew:

"The school district cannot "fix" the behavior and character of students like this without the support of the community--churches, Big Brother Big Sister, Boy Scouts, the Community Center"

YOU HAVE DROPPED WHAT DID WORK IN THE SCHOOLS YEARS AGO.......CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. YOU HAVE GIVEN IN TO THE LEGAL PRESSURES OF THE PROBLEM PARENTS WHO THINK THEIR KID IS AN ANGEL AND THEY WILL SUE IF YOU "TALK MEAN" TO THEIR LITTLE ANGEL. APPARENTLY YOUR DISTRICT IS AFRAID TO CLAMP DOWN ON LITTLE JOHNNY, WHO IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM. UNTIL YOU START DICTATING TO THE PROBLEM PEOPLE AND THEIR KIDS HOW IT WILL BE, WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CREATE SOME DEGREE OF INTIMIDATION, THEY WILL PERCEIVE THE ENVIRONMENT AS A JOKE. JMO

If an individual is conditioned to believe from an early age that their capacity to create value depends on the needs of a state institution, like school, then it stands to reason that their capacity to find value in themselves diminishes.

The institution of compulsory schooling served the needs of industrial America for generations when what was needed on a large scale were compliant, obedient employees.

It also served the needs of the American military for schools to supply a steady stream of people whose self worth was subordinate to the authority of others.

I'm convinced that after generations of enduring the vacuous, demeaning, soul- stripping process called American K-12 Education that we now have multiple generations of people who cannot recognize true value in themselves or others.

To correct an earlier comment - American locks up 25% of the world prisoners, not 50%. But we're on our way to getting there.

Rngrmed,

Mrs Andrews,

squeemy:

"If an individual is conditioned to believe from an early age that their capacity to create value depends on the needs of a state institution, like school, then it stands to reason that their capacity to find value in themselves diminishes".

AN INDIVIDUALS SELF WORTH IS DETERMINED BY MORE THAN SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS. IT IS ALSO INFLUENCED BY LIFE'S DECISIONS, WHAT LIFE THROWS AT THEM AS TO EASE OR DIFFICULTY (DEALING WITH THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF LIFE), ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE PARENTS INFLUENCE, TEACHINGS, VALUES, ENCOURAGEMENT, POSITIVE RE-ENFORCEMENT AND MOTIVATIONAL INFLUENCE. WHAT IS BUILT WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL DETERMINES THEIR INNER CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN SELF VALUE AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME FROM INSTITUTIONS.

squeemy:

"It also served the needs of the American military for schools to supply a steady stream of people whose self worth was subordinate to the authority of others".

THE MILITARY HAS HAD SOME AWFULLY SMART, SELF-CONFIDENT, TOP-NOTCH STUDENTS WITHIN THEIR RANKS. HARDLY LACKING IN SELF WORTH AND MOST GRADED AS CONFIDENT. WHEN YOU INITIALLY GO IN THE MILITARY RIGHT OUT OF WEST POINT OR THE NAVAL ACADEMY (SCHOOLS), OR JOIN A COMPANY RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE (SCHOOL), YOU MUST ACT IN A SUBORDINATE MANNER. YOU DO THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH YOUR CAREER TO SOME DEGREE. EVEN THE TOP DOG, THE CEO OF THE COMPANY, ANSWERS TO AND IS A SUBORDINATE TO THE MAJOR STOCKHOLDERS, WHO CAN DISMISS HIM (HER) AT ANY TIME. UNLESS YOU OWN THE COMPANY, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SUBORDINATE (YES AND COMPLIANT AND OBEDIENT) TO SOMEONE. YOU CAN HAVE A SENSE OF SELF WORTH AND STILL BE AN OBEDIENT AND COMPLIANT SUBORDINATE, CAN'T YOU?

squeemy:

"I'm convinced that after generations of enduring the vacuous, demeaning, soul- stripping process called American K-12 Education that we now have multiple generations of people who cannot recognize true value in themselves or others".

WOULDN'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT. PROBABLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE K-12 SYSTEM THAT HAVE A BOATLOAD OF SELF WORTH, FUNCTIONING JUST FINE, ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND FEELING DAMN GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES AND WHERE THEY ARE IN LIFE. ALL JMO.

squeemy:

"Indeed V V - there are those that are selected to achieve but most are cast aside"

AGREE. AND NOWHERE IS THIS MORE DEMONSTRATED THAN P&G, OUR FORMER EMPLOYER. DEFINITE SELECTION PROCESS ON WHO IS PREDETERMINED TO SUCCEED AND WHO ISN'T. IF ONE OF THE UPPER MANAGEMENT TAKES A LIKING TO YOU, YOU CAN DO NO WRONG AND HAVE A CAREER PATH CHARTED FOR YOU. IF NOT, YOU LANGUISH DOWN IN THE PITS OF MEDIOCRITY....JUST A FACE IN THE CROWD. WORSE YET, SOME ARE TARGETED FOR REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE VIEWED AS "TOO REBELLIOUS" OR NOT ABLE TO BE "PROCTERIZED". HAPPENED TO BOTH MY WIFE AFTER 15 YEARS AND ME AFTER 10 YEARS. GONE. NOW, THERE ARE 5700 P&G TECH CENTER EMPLOYEES THAT WILL MEET A SIMILAR FATE SOON. EVERY TEN YEARS IS THE CLEANOUT AT P&G. .....AND THERE IS A CLIMATE DURING THESE TIMES WITHIN EACH P&G FACILITY OF FEAR FOR THEIR JOBS. A TERRIBLE WAY TO COME IN TO WORK EACH DAY.

squeemy:

"It might help to think of K-12 as an industrial process - the mass production of minds to fill a need"

GOTTA KEEP THE PIPELINE OF TALENT SUPPLIED TO KEEP THE WHEELS OF CORPORATE AMERICA GREASED.

squeemy:

"Everyone is forced (compulsory schooling) into the funnel at the top and is squeezed through an ever narrowing set of constraints until the few are selected and extracted for "leadership" - defined as how well they follow"

YEP. SEE THE FIRST SECTION ABOVE.

rngrmed:

"I find it funny how Vet doesn't want the Gov't telling him he needs to wear a seat belt, etc. but wants the Gov't to step in with this kid."

TWO VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS MED, IMO. BY ME NOT WEARING MY SEATBELT, I'M PUTTING ONLY MYSELF IN HARMS WAY. DOESN'T MEAN A PINCH OF CRAP TO OTHER DRIVERS WHETHER I'M OUT THERE DRIVING WITH A BELT ON OR NOT. IF I FLY OUT OF THE CAR OR GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, I DOUBT IT WILL AFFECT THEM AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. MY ACTIONS ARE ON ME AND WILL AFFECT ME ONLY.

WITH THIS KID CURRENTLY HAVING NO DETERRENT IN THE SCHOOLS TO KEEP HIM IN LINE, HE LAUGHS AT THE SYSTEM, THINKS HE CAN DO ANYTHING HE PLEASES INCLUDING DISRUPTING THE CLASS, DENYING OTHERS THEIR RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION AND AFFECTS MANY WITH HIS ACTIONS. THE CURRENT WAY OF HANDLING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR ISN'T CUTTING IT. TIME TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE A LITTLE STRONGER THAN "KINDER/GENTLER" HAND SLAPPING.

"As far as putting his dad's job in jeopardy? Why? In this economy?"

THE DAD WOULD HAVE MADE THE CHOICE TO PLACE HIS JOB IN JEOPARDY BY NOT COMPLYING WITH THE SCHOOL'S WISHES OF PICKING UP HIS KID IN A TIMELY MANNER. THIS DAD NEVER SHOWED UP AT ALL. STILL WANNA COTTLE HIM A LITTLE MORE BY NOT INFLICTING ANY CONSEQUENCES AT ALL? HOW'S THE DAD GONNA LEARN ANY RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS YOU HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE IF HE CHOOSES THE WRONG APPROACH OR IGNORES THE PROBLEM ALTOGETHER? SOMETIME IN LIFE, A PERSON SHOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR LIFE'S LITTLE DECISIONS. IF THE JOB AND LIVELIHOOD ARE THREATENED, PERHAPS THAT WILL GET HIS ATTENTION. TO DATE, APPARENTLY NOTHING ELSE HAS. AGAIN, AFTER AWHILE, IT'S TIME TO DROP THE KINDER/GENTLER WITH A STRONGER MESSAGE. MULTIPLE CHANCES AND FORGIVENESS ONLY LAST SO LONG.

"Where is mom? Grandparents? Maybe the child is not the "community's" responsibility, but he does have a family that could step up and help out"

IF THE FAMILY DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE ACTION, THE COMMUNITY MUST DEAL WITH THE KID AS HE IS DISRUPTING THE PROGRAM OF EDUCATING THE OTHERS.THE COMMUNITY HAS AN OBLIGATION TO ASSURE THE EDUCATION OF ALL KIDS BY FURNISHING A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING BEHAVIOR. YOU DON'T SACRIFICE THE MAJORITY BECAUSE ONE WANTS TO PLAY THE UNCOOPERATIVE ROUTE. THE PARENT MUST REMOVE THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE PROBLEM CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AGAIN. IF THE DAD DOESN'T WANT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO HAUL THE WHOLE FAMILY IN FOR A SESSION ON EXPECTATIONS CONCERNING JUNIORS BEHAVIOR.

JMO

It's also interesting that Ms. Andrew did not comment on the posts of Vet and others with regard to the state report card and the fact that MCSD dropped in the number of indicators met.  I'm sure that report card was a mixed bag of results so your input on it would be welcome Ms. Andrew.

Marcia Andrew wrote: I find it interesting that none of the news hounds on this site posted the story in yesterday's Journal about the Positive Behavioral Support program that Middletown schools have adopted. [I couldn't figure out how to link to it.]   The article reports on this new, comprehensive approach to discipline and behavior that Middletown schools began to put in place last school year. After just the first year of the program, suspensions and expulsions were dramatically down while teachers reported (on anonymous surveyss) that their morale and positive school climate was up.   MCSD are making progress in this area using this consistent approach.

My apologies Ms. Andrew. Let me be the first, as a major "criticizer" of your district, to congratulate you and your school district for accomplishing a dramatic reduction in the behavioral issues from one year to the next. Nice job, as the data supports. You must forgive me if I remain a little skeptical as it is just the first year of implementation. Several years in a row of improvement might garner a more confident response from some. Let's see how we do in the future.

Vet, apology accepted. And I agree the program needs to continue to show results. We expect that it will because it is phased in over 3 years. We have already seen a drop in suspensions 1st quarter this school year compared to 1st quarter last year.

Pacman, thank you. My reference to the Journal article on the district's approach to discipline was an indirect response to your earlier post. My point in mentioning the cost of sending students to alternative schools was not to say the schools won't take action on discipline if it costs money; as is obvious from the article we have been addressing the situation. My point was that the student remains the responsibility of the district; we cannot "get rid of" a problem student by expelling him/her.