twoplustwoequalsblog

Or, “What I want out of my post-secondary environment”

I was hoping to not need to write one of these again, but here we are. Today the school decided to dish out detentions for being late to class like candy (this is a lie, the school has never given me candy for being tardy). Many people who probably should not have been punished for their marginal tardiness were punished, some people who probably should have been punished (but not this severely) for their considerable tardiness were punished, and a few people who really should be punished for running around the halls during classes were punished.

My qualm here is not with the giving of detentions to people who are late. If that is going to become policy, then fine. The school should have given advanced notice that this was their intention. Vague warnings like, “Be to class on time,” are not enough. Perhaps they forewarned us of their intentions during the daily announcements, but the classrooms are always too noisy for these to be heard, and they are not posted in any print form.

In Calculus class today, we discussed this issue briefly. “South Windsor High School is dedicated to providing students a safe and supportive environment” ¹. I believe that part of being a ’supportive environment’ is trying to create a community where faculty and students work together for everyone’s betterment. I was told that a committee considered many solutions to the tardiness problem and arrived at this, the best solution. I am not sure if students were involved in this committee. Considering we are the ones creating this problem, we are the ones best equipped to fix it. In any educational community, communication between the administration and students is the foundation to a successful environment. Was this issue brought before student government? Do we even have a student government that does anything besides vote for themes at dances?

After a bit of research on the Internet, I found a study into this exact problem. “Students complained about the inconsistency of school rules, especially those related to tardiness and eating in school, and they noted the double standard that allowed teachers to do many things students were not allowed to do. They voiced concerns that they were never given a say about anything in the school, expressing the belief that all the rules originated with teachers and staff, and that student input was not solicited. When they did express opinions about school, they thought that their comments were not taken seriously.” ²

So, what organizations exist in our school to facilitate student-administration interaction? The two that I know of are the Student Advisory Council, and the Student Government. Neither publishes their meeting schedules anywhere I can find. I have witnessed the school asking students for input, but this was done by giving specific students invitations to a discussion. The last time we had a “school wide open discussion” it was announced about thirty minutes in advance and only had twelve students involved.

We have established that South Windsor High is lacking in student involvement in the decision making process. But that isn’t the only issue. There have been several recent incidents where students have been disciplined without being given the benefit of the doubt. I cite the talent show (where students’ suspension was gradually reduced and reduced) and a recent drug suspension (where a student who passed a drug test was suspended for rooming with students possessing drugs). Now students are being given detentions automatically for being even slightly late to class.

As we move more and more completely towards a “zero tolerance” school, where is the trust between the students and the administration going? Do we want to create an environment where “the administration” are people to be feared? I am not saying that the school should stop punishing people for breaking the rules. It is too easy to take an accusing position and fail to see the other side of the story. Without firm discipline, our school would not be able to function. We have too many students who would rather be outside of class or loitering in the lobby. Rules are rules, and they must be followed.

However, the best type of rule is the rule that makes sense. Why must you obey traffic signals? Because it keeps everyone safe and provides order on the roads. Why do you have to wait in the cafeteria until lunch is over? Because otherwise you distract classes that are in session and crowd the hallways. Why is being ten paces from class when the bell starts ringing so unacceptable that it is an automatic detention (and not a three-strike system as the school rules currently state)? The punishment must fit the crime.

In conclusion, South Windsor High School desperately needs to repair its student-administration relationship. “The administration” is viewed as a tyranny, rather unfairly, by students. However, the school should work to provide more accessible opportunities for students to have direct input into the way policies are formed and the school is ran. There is obviously no perfect solution, but it would comfort students to know that they are directly represented in the school and their needs and issues are being addressed. It must be a two-way dialogue where both sides act maturely, and are treated with respect. High school students can be very grown-up when they are treated as adults. I’m sure right now people are brewing plans for “mass tardies” or some other demonstration of disgruntlement about the new policies. I have heard stories of petitions being confiscated earlier in the year regarding other issues. If neither side is prepared to act appropriately, then they both deserve what they get.

Crosslinks

“February 28th…or the day they finally lost it…” by Jenn Z.
“I’m sorry I can’t serve your ridiculous detention, I have a NHS meeting to attend…” by Amanda W.

1. http://www.swindsor.k12.ct.us/Highschool/index.htm
2. http://principalspartnership.com/tardiness.pdf