The question posed yesterday in the "Polk Pulse" phone "survey" conducted daily by The Ledger newspaper here in Lakeland, FL had 456 responses. The wording of the question was: Do you think providing jumpsuits to students who violate the school district's dress code is a good idea?
This question was asked after The Ledger ran the Associated Press story about the choice of jumpsuits being given to students in Gonzales, Texas who do not adhere to the dress code. The story can be read at http://www.theledger.com/article/20080801/NEWS/808010349
Those who responded to this "Polk Pulse" question answered YES 56% of the time that students should have the choice of wearing a jumpsuit if they elect to violate the school dress code. The one comment published was "Yes, I think it's a great idea. As a Polk County high school teacher, I wish we had a dress code that had some teeth in it here in Polk County". The one comment published to represent the 44% who responded "NO" was, "No, it is totally ridiculous".
What I find interesting is the lack of public conversation about the "uniforms" expected in the workplace while many in communities across the United States jump up and down about freedom of expression when students in public schools are expected to abide by a dress code - especially if it requires the wearing of a school uniform.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Cell phones in schools
I (and my fellow board members) received the following e-mail today from a teacher at one of our local high schools. He expresses some valid concerns related to students being in possession of cell phones while on campus. Our district is certainly not the only one having to deal with this modern intrusion into the educational process. Educators, now more than ever, need the support of parents nationwide to combat this distraction from the educational mission of schools in America.
Tim Harris
_____________________________________________
From: Brown III, Royal A.
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 8:59 AM
Subject: Electronic Device Policy
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning. I was prompted to write to you for the first time in the 14 years I have taught at Winter Haven HS by the article in the Ledger, dated July 17 entitled "Polk Schools Plan Digital Crackdown" and the article in todays Newscheif entitled "Student Code of Conduct OK'd".
By way of introduction and credentials, I am a Senior ARMY JROTC instructor who cares about my students and their success in HS and beyond. One of the ways I do this is by enforcing the PCSD Code of Conduct. Achievements include Winter Haven HS Teacher of the Year for 2005 and selection as one (1) of the eight (8) Finalists for Polk County Teacher of the Year. My colleagues in the other 10 JROTC programs in Polk County selected me as their volunteer spokesperson in matters dealing with the School District in 2002.
I applaud the District for recognizing the major problem we have with cell phones, ipods,MS3 players etc. in our high schools, the disruption to the education process these create and the need to do something about it. Quite frankly the major problems started with the School Board policy to allow cell phones in schools - just out of sight.
Cell phones and other electronic devices cuase daily confrontations for my JROTC partner and me with students in our hallways between classes. When we try to confiscate cell phones, we are told off most of the time. . The situaiton is a lot worse than 3 expulsions described in the Newschief article. I don't blame our Administrations or Teachers - we have tried hard to enforce the policy and have been overwhelmed with this problem. From my observation, most teachers have given up out of frustration.
Unfortunately, many parents are a major part of the problem. I know from personal experience that many parents call or text their students frequently even while in class and students do the same, especially by using hidden texting. Cell phones are used in the hallways and at lunch and even in classrooms. Cheating has definitely been facilitated. A mob mentality has taken over among so many students who find comfort in their own violations by noting their peers violating the code of conduct as well as their parents. We could spend most of the day trying to enforce breaches of current school board policy rather than educating our students.
So what is the solution? It's not warning posters (these will be laughed at and torn down); its not information videos (unless they are major Hollywood type productions with lots of graphics and action) and its not emails or letters to parents (most of which will be ignored) - these are only band aids aimed at symptoms but not the problem. The solution is to change the policy to ban cell phones and other electronic devices from campus altogether.
Yes, I know some parents will be angry about a ban, but allowing them and other electronic devices under any conditions undermines the education process and places extra burdens on those who try to enforce policy. This policy also implies we can't trust our School Administrations to be able to handle any emergency situations that come up. I know we live in an electronic world but we should control it not the electronics controlling us. Our campus is blanketed by Administrators, Resource Officer, Deans and other Resource Teachers with radio contact with each other and the Office and direct access to telephones. They have demonstrated their abilities to handle emergencies and don't need parental involvement after being alerted by students on cell phones.
As I said, it is true that banning of these devices would be unpopular with many of our hip generation X and Y parents and with most students. Success in life requires respect for authority and adherence to rules and laws and they need to learn this. It took us several years to see improvement through our more stringent dress code and the wearing of IDs but it has worked. A ban on all electronic devices except calculators would take time to implement but my analysis and experience suggests this is the only answer to this growing problem and is also the view of most teachers I know.
Thank you for your consideration,
ROYAL A. BROWN III
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired)
Senior Army Instructor
Winter Haven High School
Tim Harris
_____________________________________________
From: Brown III, Royal A.
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 8:59 AM
Subject: Electronic Device Policy
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning. I was prompted to write to you for the first time in the 14 years I have taught at Winter Haven HS by the article in the Ledger, dated July 17 entitled "Polk Schools Plan Digital Crackdown" and the article in todays Newscheif entitled "Student Code of Conduct OK'd".
By way of introduction and credentials, I am a Senior ARMY JROTC instructor who cares about my students and their success in HS and beyond. One of the ways I do this is by enforcing the PCSD Code of Conduct. Achievements include Winter Haven HS Teacher of the Year for 2005 and selection as one (1) of the eight (8) Finalists for Polk County Teacher of the Year. My colleagues in the other 10 JROTC programs in Polk County selected me as their volunteer spokesperson in matters dealing with the School District in 2002.
I applaud the District for recognizing the major problem we have with cell phones, ipods,MS3 players etc. in our high schools, the disruption to the education process these create and the need to do something about it. Quite frankly the major problems started with the School Board policy to allow cell phones in schools - just out of sight.
Cell phones and other electronic devices cuase daily confrontations for my JROTC partner and me with students in our hallways between classes. When we try to confiscate cell phones, we are told off most of the time. . The situaiton is a lot worse than 3 expulsions described in the Newschief article. I don't blame our Administrations or Teachers - we have tried hard to enforce the policy and have been overwhelmed with this problem. From my observation, most teachers have given up out of frustration.
Unfortunately, many parents are a major part of the problem. I know from personal experience that many parents call or text their students frequently even while in class and students do the same, especially by using hidden texting. Cell phones are used in the hallways and at lunch and even in classrooms. Cheating has definitely been facilitated. A mob mentality has taken over among so many students who find comfort in their own violations by noting their peers violating the code of conduct as well as their parents. We could spend most of the day trying to enforce breaches of current school board policy rather than educating our students.
So what is the solution? It's not warning posters (these will be laughed at and torn down); its not information videos (unless they are major Hollywood type productions with lots of graphics and action) and its not emails or letters to parents (most of which will be ignored) - these are only band aids aimed at symptoms but not the problem. The solution is to change the policy to ban cell phones and other electronic devices from campus altogether.
Yes, I know some parents will be angry about a ban, but allowing them and other electronic devices under any conditions undermines the education process and places extra burdens on those who try to enforce policy. This policy also implies we can't trust our School Administrations to be able to handle any emergency situations that come up. I know we live in an electronic world but we should control it not the electronics controlling us. Our campus is blanketed by Administrators, Resource Officer, Deans and other Resource Teachers with radio contact with each other and the Office and direct access to telephones. They have demonstrated their abilities to handle emergencies and don't need parental involvement after being alerted by students on cell phones.
As I said, it is true that banning of these devices would be unpopular with many of our hip generation X and Y parents and with most students. Success in life requires respect for authority and adherence to rules and laws and they need to learn this. It took us several years to see improvement through our more stringent dress code and the wearing of IDs but it has worked. A ban on all electronic devices except calculators would take time to implement but my analysis and experience suggests this is the only answer to this growing problem and is also the view of most teachers I know.
Thank you for your consideration,
ROYAL A. BROWN III
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired)
Senior Army Instructor
Winter Haven High School
Monday, April 7, 2008
More Parent Choice BUT...Taxation Without Representation
Charter schools have certainly opened another avenue to the parents in Florida who would like to have their child experience an educational setting other than the "traditional" public school in their community. But with this new choice have parents overlooked who is making decisions regarding the spending of their tax dollars?
Charter schools operate under the direction of an independent board of directors. This board is not selected by your locally elected public school board, nor does the public get the opportunity to vote on who serves on a charter school's board of directors. Charter schools receive 95% of the FTE funds generated by their student enrollment. The remaining five percent of FTE (full-time equivalent) funds certainly does not cover the public school district's overhead.
One of the foundations of this country was that there be no taxation without representation. Charter schools in Florida have turned the tables on taxpayers. Each charter school's board is responsible for the management of that school, including its budget. What seems to be an overlooked feature of charter school governance is that control over the school's expenditures is in the hands of a board whose members were not elected by those who pay the taxes to operate these quasi-private schools.
This writer is of the opinion that what is discribed above consititutes "taxation without representation". The school board of public school districts in Florida are elected by the tax paying citizens of that school district. As the law is currently written the public school board can only keep a small percentage of the funds received to cover the district office support functions of all public schools. This small amount of revenue is meant to cover the overhead of the school district but in no way approaches the costs associated with providing services to all of the schools, including charter and conversion charter schools.
There are those who will come back with the comment that "charter schools are public schools too". While that is technically correct it overlooks the fact that the charter school laws grant charter schools more FTE funds than the "traditional" public schools receive. This shortfall causes the remaining schools to be shortchanged in their funding - to the benefit of the charter schools. Where is the equity in that?
Parents may be attracted in part to a charter school because of this new "choice" of an educational venue for their child. It would also be wise to be aware of the lack of choice they have in selecting those who make decisions regarding how their tax dollars will be spent to operate their child's charter school.
The board of directors of each charter school is the ultimate decision maker regarding the expenditure of the taxpayer dollars received for the operation of that charter school. The taxpayers never get the opportunity to vote on those who are members of the charter school's board of directors. There is no other way to describe this system other than "taxation without representation".
Charter schools operate under the direction of an independent board of directors. This board is not selected by your locally elected public school board, nor does the public get the opportunity to vote on who serves on a charter school's board of directors. Charter schools receive 95% of the FTE funds generated by their student enrollment. The remaining five percent of FTE (full-time equivalent) funds certainly does not cover the public school district's overhead.
One of the foundations of this country was that there be no taxation without representation. Charter schools in Florida have turned the tables on taxpayers. Each charter school's board is responsible for the management of that school, including its budget. What seems to be an overlooked feature of charter school governance is that control over the school's expenditures is in the hands of a board whose members were not elected by those who pay the taxes to operate these quasi-private schools.
This writer is of the opinion that what is discribed above consititutes "taxation without representation". The school board of public school districts in Florida are elected by the tax paying citizens of that school district. As the law is currently written the public school board can only keep a small percentage of the funds received to cover the district office support functions of all public schools. This small amount of revenue is meant to cover the overhead of the school district but in no way approaches the costs associated with providing services to all of the schools, including charter and conversion charter schools.
There are those who will come back with the comment that "charter schools are public schools too". While that is technically correct it overlooks the fact that the charter school laws grant charter schools more FTE funds than the "traditional" public schools receive. This shortfall causes the remaining schools to be shortchanged in their funding - to the benefit of the charter schools. Where is the equity in that?
Parents may be attracted in part to a charter school because of this new "choice" of an educational venue for their child. It would also be wise to be aware of the lack of choice they have in selecting those who make decisions regarding how their tax dollars will be spent to operate their child's charter school.
The board of directors of each charter school is the ultimate decision maker regarding the expenditure of the taxpayer dollars received for the operation of that charter school. The taxpayers never get the opportunity to vote on those who are members of the charter school's board of directors. There is no other way to describe this system other than "taxation without representation".
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