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Based on experiences reported by a number of parents, there is a real reluctance on the part of PPS to discipline students who hsve injured or harmed other students. This is not a sustainable policy.
What about cameras on buses? This story coming on the heels of the story of the driver keeping the kids on the Arsenal bus safe is poignant. Bus drivers have difficult jobs and I have seen buses stopped at stop sigs and buses pulled over on residential streets only to learn later that there was a fight on the bus and the driver was waiting for assistance or for the kids to settle down. There is a wide gap in understanding on the issue of "when does the school's responsibility end" at dismissal time. For a walkee, for a bus rider, for a kid who lives across the street from a school or a kid who takes PAT through multiple neighborhoods or is it a time on the clock the stops the burden for a kid's safety? Will the aggressor here be Promise ready without the interventions needed to change his behavior?
I have driven behind Pittsburgh school buses where the kids were going absolutely crazy. Bus drivers have limited authority and schools need to back them up.
Teachers agree completely. Most will tell you they never do what drivers do- they have to turn their back on students. They get to give the v.p. referrals. The v.p. attempts to call home- when the numbers work. Schools are reluctant to put students on bus suspension, and much like teachers who make many referrals- drivers are often put down for trying top maintain safety. $$ cuts mean few aides on buses anymore.
The current plan announced for the summer is to have students from as far as East Hills transported to Milliones, during times of the day when traffic is congested. Is that much bus time a good idea?
What is the school administration or teachers to do? Short of now riding the bus with the students - there is really no recourse. Yes, the student could be put off of the bus but ultimately the parent will complain that it is "public" education and thus their right to have their child get to school - especially if the child is protected by special education rights. It starts at home folks, why don't parents reinforce this with their children? Schools now feed students, breakfast, lunch, and with after school programs sometimes dinner too. Schools are responsible for not only educating students in the traditional disciplines but also must implement discipline and anti-bullying programs, sex education/prevention programs, and in addition have courses in the high school where pregnant and unwed mothers can have their children enrolled for day care. Now schools must ensure students behave all the way home and it is considered their responsibility to take care of it. Why are we not holding parents responsible for raising their children? I understand the need to give everyone a chance but it has become insanely backwards. Society is so dependent on the schools to do it all. Do not have children if you can't provide them with the basic foundation of just being a good human being...
And let me clarify that last comment, I in no way mean things beyond one's control, such as poverty. You can still be in such a situation and your basic human actions can have a positive impact on society.
Excuses, ezcuses, ezcuses. If those adults in charge cannot control the situations for which they are responsible, its time to move on to new responsibilities. It is that simple.
I agree = those that cannot handle the responsibilities required of them for parenthood should give their children up for adoption. The schools and societal systems are raising their children anyway.
Students learn from adults. They learn from adults in the school environment where they attend.
They can, they will, they do learn responsibility from the responsible adults in their lives.
They will not learn in a vacuum.
Since when do we (adults) dismiss our responsibility to be the teachers, the models, the guiding force for young in our care while they are in our care, and that includes the teachers where children attend school.
Responsibility is a learned skill. Children learn it from the adults that they touch-- who care--who care enough not to displace responsibility.
Most people think of "bus problems" as middle school, high school etc--which is why we talk about responsibility. Reality is that little kids-- recently out of car seats -- have NO idea what sit and be quiet and be safe on a bus means. With "right sizing" whole neighborhoods never buses became bus students. Small students move around, crawl under seats, and yes the older kids join in the mayhem. Suburban schools watch the video, if a little one turns around in the seat talking- parents are called in to watch the video. Dont come --student is off the bus. In PPS we make excuses--attendance policies and NCLB, someone else started it-- reality is everybody in every school knows which bus is t he "bad bus". And yes, long bus rides DO nake for bad behavior in school- if there are no consequences and students are told -"well go to class now..." Across the country students are bused, especially since the 60s when we consolidated schools. But with the new policy of no consequences until legal action is threatened,PPS is letting students run wild and putting students in danger. In the 80s, we had student bus monitors- it worked because they had some place to "report violations" - but now even very consciencious drivers who spend their own time writing up students to try and keep order and safety are ignored or worse put down as having a "problem of practice."
Man, is the subject of responsibility a hard issue to discuss in a blog or what? There is plenty of responsibility to go around. Let's just say for the sake of discussion that all adults have accepted their portion and are doing their part. I know this not to be true but we need to begin talking about when and how much students should accept so we need a starting point. Is the ear-beating kids get about becoming Promise-Ready enough to motivate responsibility? What else works? What words can make a difference? Are all the motivational messages used to signoff on email helpful or ignored? Are the mottos adopted by schools just mantras or are they put into practice?
16 comments:
So yet again, nothing is done until it is a police incident. This is becoming policy.
Based on experiences reported by a number of parents, there is a real reluctance on the part of PPS to discipline students who hsve injured or harmed other students. This is not a sustainable policy.
What about cameras on buses? This story coming on the heels of the story of the driver keeping the kids on the Arsenal bus safe is poignant. Bus drivers have difficult jobs and I have seen buses stopped at stop sigs and buses pulled over on residential streets only to learn later that there was a fight on the bus and the driver was waiting for assistance or for the kids to settle down. There is a wide gap in understanding on the issue of "when does the school's responsibility end" at dismissal time. For a walkee, for a bus rider, for a kid who lives across the street from a school or a kid who takes PAT through multiple neighborhoods or is it a time on the clock the stops the burden for a kid's safety? Will the aggressor here be Promise ready without the interventions needed to change his behavior?
I have driven behind Pittsburgh school buses where the kids were going absolutely crazy. Bus drivers have limited authority and schools need to back them up.
Teachers agree completely. Most will tell you they never do what drivers do- they have to turn their back on students. They get to give the v.p. referrals. The v.p. attempts to call home- when the numbers work. Schools are reluctant to put students on bus suspension, and much like teachers who make many referrals- drivers are often put down for trying top maintain safety. $$ cuts mean few aides on buses anymore.
The current plan announced for the summer is to have students from as far as East Hills transported to Milliones, during times of the day when traffic is congested. Is that much bus time a good idea?
What is the school administration or teachers to do? Short of now riding the bus with the students - there is really no recourse. Yes, the student could be put off of the bus but ultimately the parent will complain that it is "public" education and thus their right to have their child get to school - especially if the child is protected by special education rights. It starts at home folks, why don't parents reinforce this with their children? Schools now feed students, breakfast, lunch, and with after school programs sometimes dinner too. Schools are responsible for not only educating students in the traditional disciplines but also must implement discipline and anti-bullying programs, sex education/prevention programs, and in addition have courses in the high school where pregnant and unwed mothers can have their children enrolled for day care. Now schools must ensure students behave all the way home and it is considered their responsibility to take care of it. Why are we not holding parents responsible for raising their children? I understand the need to give everyone a chance but it has become insanely backwards. Society is so dependent on the schools to do it all. Do not have children if you can't provide them with the basic foundation of just being a good human being...
And let me clarify that last comment, I in no way mean things beyond one's control, such as poverty. You can still be in such a situation and your basic human actions can have a positive impact on society.
Excuses, ezcuses, ezcuses. If those adults in charge cannot control the situations for which they are responsible, its time to move on to new responsibilities. It is that simple.
I agree = those that cannot handle the responsibilities required of them for parenthood should give their children up for adoption. The schools and societal systems are raising their children anyway.
Are we really serving students well by placing all responsibility on adults and zero responsibility on students? When do they learn responsibility?
Students learn from adults. They learn from adults in the school environment where they attend.
They can, they will, they do learn responsibility from the responsible adults in their lives.
They will not learn in a vacuum.
Since when do we (adults) dismiss our responsibility to be the teachers, the models, the guiding force for young in our care while they are in our care, and that includes the teachers where children attend school.
Responsibility is a learned skill. Children learn it from the adults that they touch-- who care--who care enough not to displace responsibility.
No one said place all the responsibility on students either.
Most people think of "bus problems" as middle school, high school etc--which is why we talk about responsibility. Reality is that little kids-- recently out of car seats -- have NO idea what sit and be quiet and be safe on a bus means. With "right sizing" whole neighborhoods never buses became bus students. Small students move around, crawl under seats, and yes the older kids join in the mayhem. Suburban schools watch the video, if a little one turns around in the seat talking- parents are called in to watch the video. Dont come --student is off the bus. In PPS we make excuses--attendance policies and NCLB, someone else started it-- reality is everybody in every school knows which bus is t he "bad bus". And yes, long bus rides DO nake for bad behavior in school- if there are no consequences and students are told -"well go to class now..." Across the country students are bused, especially since the 60s when we consolidated schools. But with the new policy of no consequences until legal action is threatened,PPS is letting students run wild and putting students in danger. In the 80s, we had student bus monitors- it worked because they had some place to "report violations" - but now even very consciencious drivers who spend their own time writing up students to try and keep order and safety are ignored or worse put down as having a "problem of practice."
Man, is the subject of responsibility a hard issue to discuss in a blog or what? There is plenty of responsibility to go around. Let's just say for the sake of discussion that all adults have accepted their portion and are doing their part. I know this not to be true but we need to begin talking about when and how much students should accept so we need a starting point. Is the ear-beating kids get about becoming Promise-Ready enough to motivate responsibility? What else works? What words can make a difference? Are all the motivational messages used to signoff on email helpful or ignored? Are the mottos adopted by schools just mantras or are they put into practice?
1-parent,
The answers to your thoughtful questions are ignored and mantras, respectively.
The game of 'pass the buck' is often played, where the teacher is most often the loser.
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