Crime and Education
Oct 5th, 2009 by David Anderson
Kilroy brought this to our attention. Here are the latest crime stats for our schools. What is not reported are the many incidents of bullying that never get beyond a teacher or principal. Adults would never tolerate an environment where their personal safety was threatened for work. Our children certainly need better. I really do believe that we need character education and teaching certain skills for positive mental health and relationships are vital. Lengthen the school day 40 minutes and just do it. That would do more for education reform than all of the retread reform.
http://transparentchristina.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/bullying-is-a-serious-issue-in-american-schools-still/
David thanks for weighing in on this subject. Many kids won’t come forward to report bullying because the consequences for the perpetrator are mild and does nothing to change the overall environment. Bullying can’t be convicted or held accountable unless there is a witness or victim reveals themselves. When those witness or victims step forward they put a big red x on themselves as a snitch and the bully’s crew steps in.
I keep ranting about putting crisis interventionist in our public schools or at least ones that have a high level of discipline problems. The social interactions within schools pretty much reflect society and obviously an ongoing deterioration of a civilized society.
Politicians who are fixated on educational reform fail to look beyond the process of learning and make a connection between the impacts of our troubled society. Our social services are overloaded and underfunded, our juvenile justice system offers no real rehabilitation and our adult justice system is blind.
From working experience with delinquents in a group home and specialized foster care settings I know negative behavior is a form of communication. It reflects anger, pain and despair, but for many the response should punishment with no compassion or efforts to rehabilitate. Bullying in many cases is a defense mechanism to ensure that individual won’t become a victim. Life in ghetto and poor neighborhoods is a game of survival for some kids and weakness only marks that individual. However, the affluent many not display bullying physically but rather do so emotionally. Making fun of others who are less fortunate and different causing pain is bullying but not addressed until someone crossing a physical line or become threatening.
Teachers are not trained social workers or crisis interventionist and are there to teach. They can only communicate / educate young students on good social behaviors but they need the support and reinforcement from home. This goes for those living in all social classes because no social class has the right to disrespect another.
Kids carry a lot of negative baggage put there by adults including their parents and society. The condition of our economy and a world that dooms itself with the obsession of war leaves a bleak hopeless future for children.
Many of the bullies in the past seem to come from trouble homes and were just a few within a school. But now we have a broken society where educators who know best are stifled by politics.
I can agree with Arne Duncan that we need to open schools beyond the school day and a place where community services can be delivered. But this only reinforces my opinion schools have become day treatment centers for children of dysfunctional families. If we’re going in that direction I think we need to add crisis interventionist in our public schools where they can address emotional needs of students in a group setting and offer individual intervention as needed. Kids need a place in a controlled environment with certain verbal boundaries to express themselves. If we don’t hear them we can’t treat them.
Billions and billions of dollars are about to be poured into education to improve student academic achievement but none is being poured to address the anger, pain, despair many of these kids carry everyday that impacts their ability to learn and socialize. Address their emotional needs does address the needs of those who are victimized and may produce a better learning environment.
As far as violence in Delaware public schools, it’s a time bomb and Delaware isn’t immune to the tragic events we’ve see around the country. God forbid such tragedy strike us but if it does many will be saying why didn’t we see this coming and someone at the school district level will be held accountable for the failures of our legislators that should have had the foresight? I guess it’s like a bad intersection where enough people have to die before a Stop sign is installed.
Just make note, bullying comes in all forms, black and white, rich or poor and smart and not so smart.
Having a mother who isn’t a teenager who can’t read and a father who doesn’t disappear to impregnate more women when he’s not selling drugs helps, too.
“But this only reinforces my opinion schools have become day treatment centers for children of dysfunctional families.”
This in fact is the issue. The Primary rationale for any school is to educate. Treating dysfunctional famiies does in fact take resources from the primary mission. Should the treatment of children of dysfunctional families be done in a school setting or should we have treatment centers with an educational component? If fixing the kid is the mission should we not have an institution with that as a primary mission doing the job?
Delaware’s public education system is dysfunctional at every level. The way we fund our schools makes no sense, the school district model is broken and we need more choice for every student.
Hence, alternative schools are a must and to date they have gone unfunded and ignored. A pretty good program called Vision 2015 is still not as far a long as it should be.
For liberals and Democrats education is a non stop election issue but not an issue to address in a tangible way.
Parents should give their children values and an education except in Delaware.
Mike Protack
Mike Protack
“Parents should give their children values and an education except in Delaware.”
Mike what parents should do are aren’t doing impacts their childrens’ education and the ability to allow teachers to teach. However, this does not give teachers an excuse to not make an effort to teach all children the same.
“Hence, alternative schools are a must and to date they have gone unfunded and ignored.”
Why not dig in and provide adequate intervention where needed? There are alternative schools but not enough to meet demands. However, we’re coming back to providing those with backgrounds in public schools who can provide intervention to the students in need.
We are so critical of tradtional public school teachers who don’t get to pick and choose their students whereas some charter schools do and other charter school beneft by having parents caring enough to place thier children in charter schools. Who get’s left behind ? Children who’s parents don’t give a rats ass. Others left behind who can get into charter schools with waiting lists fight over school Choice seats.
If you converted all public schools to charter schools do you really think the overall state data on achievment and discipline would improve? The charter schools that are
“academically” successful for the most part are the low poverty and low minority charter schools. Also, make not pretty much all charter schools have low discipline problems and that because charter schools have the option to ask a student to leave. They are not required to provide alternative placement. Where does Red Clay send their disruptive students?
Vision 2015 has it’s merits however the same player involved gave us DSTP long before NCLB. What does Vision 2015 offer in the area of discipline? What does Vision 2015 offer on school safety?
Most parents want safe schools and teachers who are not hindered by classroom disruptions due to misbehaved students. However, there are other parents who can care less and don’t even provide breakfast for their children. Free lunch is one thing but providing breakfast because the parent is too lazy to get their ass up an cook is anoter. What next, extend the school day to include dinner?
Tennessee Walker
” The Primary rationale for any school is to educate.”
In deed and using school teachers as social workers is the wrong direction.
Maybe I should start something like Teach for America but call it Reach for America and put behavior interventionist in every school. Surely the Teach for America teacher at Warner could use a little assistence in behavior management!
But yet who in the hell is Kilroy who rants so much?
Mostly all politicians comment on the issues very superficially and lack the thinking dynamics to piece serious social issues together such as the decline in social morals and relate them to the impact on education.
” For liberals and Democrats education is a non stop election issue but not an issue to address in a tangible way.”
So the GOP tangible way is to call all unionized teachers assholes? Politcians Republicans and Democrats form their politcal unions to promote self-serving interest and that of their political bedfellows. So why shouldn’t teachers be organized?
The encroachment of the federal government in education at the state level and local level exceeds the intent of federal government and the assigned mission on the U.S. Deapartment of Labor. Obama is holding up 4.3 billion dollars in a program called Race to the Top and states who don’t allow more charter schools to open will not get a peice of the pie. FYI, that federal money was derived by taxtion on the people of all state.
Just as parents are their child’s first teacher, they are also their child’s first disciplinarian. If the disicpline issues were address in public schools there would be no need for charter schools.
Mike the alernative schools for disruptive students will be public schools once enough charter schools are build for parents who give a rats ass about their childrens’ education pulls them out.
According to Mike Protack . “Delaware’s public education system is dysfunctional at every level.” I disagree with this. With family members who are classroom teachers and as someone who has visited those classrooms, I know that front line teachers are doing yeoman’s work. Certainly the system from what I have seen is not dysfunctional at the level of the classroom teacher.
Also, am I to believe that there are no alternative schools in Delaware? I will make some calls but it is my understanding there are.
Kilroy, I certainly understand that you are passionate. But your link gave a great and detailed breakdown of discipline problems in our school system. As a parent I agree I don’t want my children going to school with thugs who we would not let out on the streets. My question to you is, Should we try to deal with troubled and in some cases dangerous students within a traditional school or should we set up alternatives? In my view the alternatives should have as their first mission behavior modification and character education with an education component to allow the student reentry into the traditional school.
While I appreciate the additional information about the Fed component, I would prefer to see a succinct defintion of how you view the correct situation would appear.
“Delaware’s public education system is dysfunctional at every level.”
How would Protack know this? Didn’t his kids go to private school? On what basis does he make such a sweeping statement?
Probably the same basis on which he made this whopper: Perhaps you could be concerned that 42% of BSD graduates have no qualifications for College or a job, they are on the general track to nowhere.
Still no substantiation on that one, Mikey.
Tennessee Walker
“My question to you is, Should we try to deal with troubled and in some cases dangerous students within a traditional school or should we set up alternatives?”
The dangerous students will be dealt with but unfortunately not until they victimize others and disrupt education. We need alternative schools for these types of students. But my point is having specialists in public schools to address discipline through early intervention could help reduce the need for alternative settings and help give back the classroom to the teachers. Back in the day in Delaware the alternative school was Ferris school for Boys aka incarceration.
Our education system can’t even address low level classroom disruptions. Not the teacher’s fault but a breakdown of support network which includes legislation. It all fell apart due the desegeration movement because the education system became more racially sensitive. So feel all the disruptions come from minorites which isn’t the truth. But, inter city kids bring a hardness with them that is more show then action. Just a defense mechanism that is somewhat intimidating to naïve suburbanites and young teachers. We have kids in emotional crisis that might not be criminal but very disruptive.
Hube
“How would Protack know this? Didn’t his kids go to private school? On what basis does he make such a sweeping statement? ”
Protack’s comment represents one dimensional thinking that produce and false response to the solution. Pretty much in simple terms his head is in the clouds.
The daily disruption in class ( correct me if I am wrong) is the constant talking and low level tormenting that goes on between students during class. Add up all the times a teacher has to stop to deal with the bullshit and the time it takes them to regain focus. Surely if a teacher could have one wish to address behavior it would be related to basic respect.
Then there is life in the hallways before and after class than many teachers just put the blinders on because they don’t have the energy.
The basic rule of expected student behavior is taught on day one in kindergarten and as time goes by lack of parental support and consistent interventional and enforcement of the rules deteriorate. Then there is behaviors associated with adolescents which is normal however there is no effective intervention in the schools to deal with it.
The teacher’s job is to teach and yes have some ability to maintain class control. The progression of negative behaviors in our public schools gets worst with each generation and I don’t think it peaked. Pretty much effective intervention isn’t keeping up and schools are out of control. So the answers are building new schools and kick those who don’t conform out. However, the old school system is the dumping grounds for the misbehaved.
Some narrow-minded people are all for resegregation as if that will address the problems. Sure Mike take all the bad kids put them in one school and all the good kids in another. FYI even the so-called good kids victimizes others by looking down their noses as the less fortunate.
Even the teachers ( Teach for America) who can walk on water are getting burned out because of classroom disruption. However, they just need to serve their two year tour of duty to get the $9400.00 federal AmeriCorps bonus whereas committed long term public school teachers just get shit on and ridiculed by politicians.
Kilroy, you have brought up issues from low level tormenting to dangerous students. I really am in no positiion to deal with the variety of issues that you bring up in a single post. Based on my contacts in the school system, your points have validity.
Perhaps we need an educational summit where you and I and Hube discuss some educational issues and do a 3 party post on all of our blogs. I don’t think that any of us will have all the answers but I do believe that putting our heads together might just get us some very positive results. Any takers?????
Count me in!
I would love reading it.
Delaware sits on the dumb side of the class;
http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank.htm
Tennessee Walker
“Perhaps we need an educational summit where you and I and Hube discuss some educational issues and do a 3 party post on all of our blogs. I don’t think that any of us will have all the answers but I do believe that putting our heads together might just get us some very positive results. Any takers?????”
Sounds like a good ideal ! My views are based on networking with parents and educators and obviously the ability to look at the issues from outside the box and able to see the relationship between society and education.
Education is driven by power, ego, money and politics. It really sucks for teachers because if they step up and tell it like it is they’ll out their jobs on the line. Same goes for some good building administrators.
I observe that there is a basic lack of support in Delaware for public schools, as evidenced by so many private schools here, to which parents send their children, those children who are often the better students. Thus, the public schools are left to deal with the problem students, who proceed to disrupt the learning environment in the classroom. This is a serious problem for the public schools!
We also waste resources by maintaining too many local school districts having the resultant duplication of services; so, consolidation is definitely in order, in my view.
We need to look to models of successful, efficient school districts, some not far away from DE, in order to help us decide on the changes and improvements we need to make.
Finally, we need to examine our cultural values to determine whether holdovers from our segregated past continue to cloud our decisions for educating our children.
In spite of all our problems, we are 25th in the nation in quality of education, according to Rick’s reference above, which is a credit to our teachers. That said, we must do better for our children and our State.
Thus, the public schools are left to deal with the problem students, who proceed to disrupt the learning environment in the classroom. This is a serious problem for the public schools!
So? To coin your ridiculously overused phrase, what’s YOUR solution?
Finally, we need to examine our cultural values to determine whether holdovers from our segregated past continue to cloud our decisions for educating our children.
Just like ed school edu-babble. What does this mean, precisely?
“Finally, we need to examine our cultural values to determine whether holdovers from our segregated past continue to cloud our decisions for educating our children.”
No sure where you are coming from re: “our cultural values?”
mean ours in black and white as one America or the white culture? Segregation is of the past and it still continues and the charter school movement and Choice was initiated to applease those who wanted to breakaway from court order busing. But the excuse was parents did want their kids in the school buses for lond rides to school. But now that’s a small price to pay to attend a popular charter school.
The reason there is no traditional public high school is the Wilmington City limits is because we would seal the fact the school are becoming re-segregated. Red Clay has Charter School of Wilmington and Cab within the city limits but they are not feeder / assigned schools.
Personally , I am all for school choice and charter however the playing field must be leveled to open admission to all with no bullshit about the students meeting the specific design or curriculum of a given school. Delaware Military Academy is a fine school but JrROTC can be at any public school. Advance classes to rival Charter School of Wilmington can be at any public school.
There might be some rascist involved in reengineering our public schools but for a fact parents want their children in school that are safe and focused on learning. The notion charter school teachers are better is bullshit! Charter teachers work in a controlled environment that will purge out students who are disruptive and that ges for black and white charter schools.
Consolidating public school districts will come as charter schools grow which will reduce the size of the school districts.
First and foremost I am committed to meeting with Hube and Kilroy to get this ball rolling. I think that the three shrinking violets of the blogosphere might be willing to candidly express their ideas and points of view.
I think that labeling Charter Schools as some kind of rascist plot does not advance the argument. If I had a a kid who had some very real performance talent I would want an option such as the Cab Calloway school at the old Wilmington High.
A School board member once told me that were it not for Charter Schools, their district would never be able to handle the additional students.
Charter Schools perform a real and useful purpose, despite what the DSEA says.
The City of Wilmington issue goes back to Judge Schwartz who mandated his own view of social engineering back in the 70′s. One of the problems of dealing with this is the inevitable arrogance of New Castle County people wanting to impose their own views on Kent and Sussex. Kent and Sussex look nothing like New Castle in the education scheme yet New Castle folks insist on a New Castlecentric solution. This is typical and a prescription for failure.
Anyone who wants real education change needs to look at the whole picture. There are areas of agreement that can give a start.
Based on what I have read from Hube and Kilroy, we have seen the same things. It is time to get to work.
“If not for charter schools the district would never handle the additional students”
The Building that houses Charter School of Wilmington belongs to Red Clay and that space would be used for a traditional schools. However, make not between Cab and CSW on about 52% of all students live in Red Clay. Warner School is operating at 51% Capacity and two other city schools at 75%. The Red Clay taxpayers did vote to build North Star and to add space to other schools such as Richey. The taxpayer will support more building space and schools if needed. Also, billions of dollars coming out of Washington could have went toward new school and create real jobs for more teachers and the trades building the schools.
A board member told me “they” as in blacks want to attend all black charter schools.
“Social engineering”
No it was an answer to a civil rights issue however the biggest mistake was the ordering of certain school to be closed and “sold”!
Charter schools are useful and I support them because our legislators failed to maintain the traditional public schools and blame teachers. Union teachers are no more a drain than over weighted school administration and why does Delaware DOE need over 200 employees and private consultants?
How is it possible a parent who wore a black arm band saying Save A.I. prior to the deseg order end up on the school board? How is it black school board member was handpicked by white school board members who had a political machine behind them to get him elected. How is it that a black board member elected in a predetermined minority majority in the city limits can move to Pike Creek and not step down because he is outside his board nominating district? How is it a former member of Red Clay School Board the board that approved Charter School of Wilmington and he legal oversight body had a spouse that was on the board of directors for Charter School of Wilmington?
Education is like an onion, the more you peel it back the more it stinks.
Again charter schools are fine and more power to parents who elected them for their children. Why stay in a school system the state officials all but gave up on?
How is it Arne Duncan can be the U .S Sec of Education and never have taught school or was never an administrator?
How is it I only have a GED and a pocketful of college credits have the insight to the failures in our public school system and why do I care?
I know I could do a better job than Arne Duncan! Well, that’s if I took Hube with me as my proof reader