Sunday, September 6, 2009

Just about the time TPS does something well, it goes through an orgiastic reflex and shoots itself in the foot. For years Jack Arnold and Bob Currington labored over a Code of Student Conduct. The Code was concise, ultimately clear and best of all, was consistent while providing individual flexibility.
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Every year several Board members complained that the Code was not consistent enough. There were different consequences in different schools for the same offense. Well, they fixed it alright, with a typical Board solution. NO consequences!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The new Discipline Response Plan (DRP or better described DRIP) is a comic masterpiece that could be sold on late night cable TV as Acronyms Gone Wild. T.R.A.I.C.E Satellite, T.R.A.I.C.E. Academy, DRC they threw in everything but an IUD and STD.
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The clear consequence categories have been replaced with a confusing mish-mash of confused contradictions, shrouded in vague generalities, wrapped in smoke and mirrors. Clear consequences have been replaced by a nauseas glut of bookish jargon called Tier I, Tier II, Tire III and Tier IV, guaranteed to bring uncountable tears to anyone who is actually IN a school and is actually WORKING WITH STUDENTS! Clear consequences have been replaced and unworkable maze and endless list of time prohibitive activities that would require an entire staff of counselors for every referred student. Clear consequences have been removed and replaced with unworkable demands that require hours of additional paperwork.
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Specific scenario: 14 year old Johnny grabs Suzy’s breast in class. Suzy is humiliated and in tears. It is no longer a sexual offense!!!!!!!!!!!! Instead, we have a teacher conference with Johnny to inform him this is not an expected behavior or we have a team meeting to be sure Johnny understands the Life Skills or we set up a parent conference (if the parent cares to attend), or we review Steve Covey's Seven ........WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!!!!!!!!!! What idiot removed this sexual offense from the list of sexual offenses!!!!!!!! If I MY child was sexually abused at the hands of another student who had been reminded of his Life Skills the last time he sexually abused a classmate, I'd sue Tulsa Public Schools for every dollar I could get. AND I WILL RECOMMEND THE SAME TO ANY PARENT TO WHOM IT THIS HAPPENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Specific Incident: A principal called me to say that at a recent principal's meeting, the presenter of the ridiculous Discipline Response Plan refused to answer the question of what specific consequences should happen to two students who have a fight. This Discipline Response Plan is NO Discipline, with NO Response and has NO plan!!!!
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Dr. Ballard said, and I believe he was sincere, that misbehavior would not be tolerated. This NO Discipline Response Plan assures the failure of Dr. Ballard's pledge to teachers. Lounge talk has it that high school principals are trying to respond with some common sense. Let’s pray, for the sake of every student, teacher and administrator that this is true and that they are successful.

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