Feeling a little pensive this evening

**billybob** · 03-26-2008, 02:12 AM

I shared this on another site, but not here. Not certain as to why....

A few weeks back, I was assaulted by a student. It was a matter of time before something like this happened. The student shoved me aside (all 6 foot three inches of him) when I blocked his exit from my classroom. I had asked him, calmly, to please sit down and wait until he was dismissed to go to his locker, just as I did every morning. He chose not to wait and forced the issue.

Administration did not want to do much of anything (an assault looks back on the school record, you see) and our school resource officer tried to lay it on me, saying I provoked the incident by "impeding" the student.

Our local NEA rep had a royal tantrum, contacted the superintendent and (I just found this out) the chairman of the school board. She also contacted the local sheriff's department for whom our resource officer works. There was talk, LOUD talk of a lawsuit. Well, not only did the student wind up getting suspended for three days, but so did the Principal and the resource officer. The resource officer is still not back at school and, the bet is, won't be.

I wasn't looking to stage a coup de etat, but that is just about what happened. You see, my situation was only one of several that had apparently been summarily swept beneath the carpet, glossed over, ignored....I don't know all the details.

ops:

Our principal reappeared yesterday morning. I am told there is an investigation ongoing but no one has spoken to me. I will give them until this Friday and then I will contact NEA again. I am NOT trying to overthrow the government here...I just don't want the problems at this school conveniently disregarded. I won't allow it.

Meantime, I have indicated to the school and school system that I want to transfer somewhere else. I am one of four teachers I know of, just on my grade level, who are contemplating similar action (there are but 11 of us) and word is that dissatisfaction is rampant in the other two grade levels as well.

It's sad, because many of our kids come from rough neighborhoods and have down-on-their-luck families; and yes, many are minorities who are third and fourth generation poverty. I feel bad for them, but I also feel badly for the other kids and for the teachers who must endure the conditions at this school.

My troubles, in teaching, have seldom been with the kids. Oh yes, some of them have issues. Okay...a fair number of them at this school have issues, but those issues would not be so profound if our "leadership" would not persist in enabling their behaviors, lowering expectations, making and accepting excuses.

When that happens, nobody benefits.

**JohnBoy** · 03-26-2008, 12:23 PM

I wasn't looking to stage a coup de etat, but that is just about what happened.

-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.-

Sometimes the government requires overthrowing..... In any case, the school administration requires a coup de grace. No one benefits by incompetent administration who act as if there is nothing wrong, when egregious things happen in their school. Not the public- the community is damaged by such schools. Not the students- they are damaged by being in such schools. Certainly not the faculty. Get some, I say- or in the more modern parlance, you go, Billybob!

**KatieK** · 03-26-2008, 03:17 PM

I think you did the right thing. If they had ignored me with a similar problem I would have started making arrangements to change schools immediately. How disrespectful!

**Ima Teacher** · 03-26-2008, 10:18 PM

I was getting ready to say that if they thought it looked bad to have an assault on their record, I wonder what they'd say about a lawsuit related to a coverup.

Guess that will be known shortly.

Keep us posted!

**kontan** · 03-26-2008, 11:09 PM

Unbelievable that a student could get away with such.

**billybob** · 03-27-2008, 01:36 AM

Originally Posted by kontan

Unbelievable that a student could get away with such.

Well, he didn't actually get away with it. He was suspended for three days and has a juvenile court date next week.

Clever.

Next week is spring break. I plan on going to the mountains for the week. If I don't show up, then the charges get dropped.

I wonder how much of this is just accidental coincidence and how much of it is the juvenile authorities being coy about the whole matter.

Not sure just how I will handle this...

**kontan** · 03-27-2008, 02:10 AM

bb, would he have gotten away with it if you hadn't pursued the situation?

You know, without administrative support our job is so much more difficult

**wag** · 03-27-2008, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by billybob

Next week is spring break. I plan on going to the mountains for the week. If I don't show up, then the charges get dropped.

If you don't show up will it support the administration's former contention that you were at fault here?

I am sorry this happened to you. I see why you need to get out of there.

**Bitsy Griffin** · 03-27-2008, 03:40 PM

When I taught at Parkland, something similar happened.

sad, sad state of things.

**billybob** · 03-27-2008, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by wag

Originally Posted by billybob

Next week is spring break. I plan on going to the mountains for the week. If I don't show up, then the charges get dropped.

If you don't show up will it support the administration's former contention that you were at fault here?

I am sorry this happened to you. I see why you need to get out of there.

Durn! I hate it when you're right, WAG!!!!

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