Hello Craig, this week wasn't too out of control.
January 6: On Tuesday, we went on a field trip to Lincolnwood Town Center to shop around and learn how to spend money (which I almost missed, due to oversleeping). It was pretty interesting, to me anyway. When I got back to school, we just did circle time then went home.
January 7: I already made a post regarding Wednesday. Read "Wednesdays with Timmy."
January 8: On Thursday, things got crazy in the afternoon. In the morning, it was pretty calm (with the exception of an altercation or two), but in the afternoon, things started exploding. Two girls were fighting on the 1st floor hallway as I was returning to my classroom from my 7th period class, but that's not all. One boy almost knocked over some people running up the stairs from a girl. Now here where things really get crazy. A teacher's aide (I will not reveal his name out of privacy/protection) was monitoring the hallways and when the second bell rang, he walked up to a boy still getting stuff out of his locker and told him simply (not in a mean or nice way) to get to class. The boy snapped. He was yelling at the aide, telling him things like "don't tell me what to do!" and other things. As the altercation drew out, it got louder. The boy started to threaten the aide and walk up to him, trying to hit him, screaming profane words and "whatcha gonna do?!" at him while the aide just remained calm and kept telling him to go to class and stop acting out. After a minute or two, security was notified of what was happening and they came. When security tried to restrain this boy and to take him calmly to the police room (since he was going to be arrested for threatening a CPS employee), he started to fight with them, so they called in for police. Two officers came over and when they tried to handcuff the boy, he was still fighting with them, so it took at least eight or nine officers to restrain him. He probably got put in either a cage car or a wagon, because from where I was sitting in my classroom, I saw through the classroom door window that at least four officers were leading him out and the aide was talking to another officer. That sure was crazy, and I only witnessed about 15 seconds of it (the rest of it was either heard from someone else or hearing it from my classroom so nobody complained that I was being nosy or standing there too long).
January 9: On Friday, things were calm compared to Thursday afternoon. While going to/coming from/in my classes, I only observed the here and there argument and an incident of disrespect towards a teacher (it got on my nerves, but it wasn't nothing compared to Thursday afternoon). Otherwise, things were calm. In other news, I helped one of my teachers cook the food for movie day in the classroom along with three other students.
January 12: Monday, things were so insane, that it wasn't funny. A major brawl break out shortly after noon, at about 12:10pm. I have no clue on how many people were involved in the melee, but it was huge. Security couldn't get it under control. Even the police had to call for back up. I'm guessing the fight was stopped after a few minutes. Other then the brawl, I observed a teacher being cussed out by a student, more disrespect to a teacher, arguments, etc. I'll be glad if we go on our field trip tomorrow (may be cancelled to the forecasted blizzard). I'll get to escape from there.
- Thanks,
Avondale/Logan Square Crime Blotter
16 comments:
I have urged Timmy to go on doing what he is doing, as long as his mother approves.
This is a valuable communicator in the neighborhood. Why would ANYONE want to reject his foresight?
Just a thought,
What if all gang bangers were thrown out of school?
How much time is spent trying to restore order vs actually teaching?
Do any of the gang bangers actually contribute academically?
9 officers and security personnel to restrain one student. Not exactly the best bang for my hard earned tax paying buck.
Why not one teacher with a taser and jack boots. When I went to school if a student wanted to fight a teacher it would be a fatal move on the students part.
Zero tollerence.
Personally I want a zero tolerance for gang activity in and around all schools.
Show colors, flash signs or post your affiliation online and that student is denied access to a education.
Remove them from the parents and put on work details. This would remove he paycheck for that child as the parent already failed to use that money to raise that child.
Yes this would be child labor but since they are already working for a gang as mules, dealers and such not much real difference.
Let them sweep side walks, clean toilets and sift through garbage.
Then give them a choice after 2 years to re-enter school or continue serving the public.
As a tax payer, lots of fucking taxes. I want better results for my money. The current system pays the parents (WELFARE)for dumping these little pieces of shit off at school. Once at school these kids disrupt quite effectively the teaching process.
progun - hate to say it - but good point! It's so unfair that kids that may want to learn have to put up with this shit. No child should be forced to be around that in a "safe" setting. I wonder if some of these parents WOULD do a better job if they knew if there kid couldn't stay in school, they would stop getting their free money!
"Why not one teacher with a taser and jack boots."
Because we don't live in a police state and because corporal punishment is illegal. They may be thugs, but they have every right to an education and that's what the aide was offering before the fight. You give teachers tasers and the first one to use one is going to be jumped by the students, have the taser stolen and then everyone in the school will be tasered.
Now now, I assure you that, god forbid, some parents are actually good people and are afraid to put their children into the "system". Sad fact is that it's a tad bit too late for that if your son / daughter's acting up to the point of having the police show up at school.
Some single parents are occupied with trying to keep a roof over their head and may not know EVERYTHING that goes on with that child. Not all of them are like, "I needs me dat welfare check! Hot dog!" all the time. Sheesh.
Then you do have some parents who honestly just don't know what to do with their children. Seeing their child off into "the system" (juvie and all that stuff) just may make them feel bad about 1) having raised a child to the best of their abilility, only to have them turn face on their parents and become not-so-upstanding citizens, and 2) not wanting to have their child hate them due to the diciplinary actions they make.
I know of this fairly well, having a mother who, despite how strict she was with one of my younger sisters, just so happened to have a problem child. She had the police called on her more times to count, had her stay at one of the at-risk youth homes for months at a time, and generally set rules and gave out punishment when it was called for. (Trust me, I've had my days where I didn't do things that my mom told me, and I was punished for it.)
But at the end of the day, the problem child was a problem child, and my mom is at her wits ends as to what to do. After dealing with the police and child services (who didn't really help, by the way), she was stuck sending my sister off every few months or so. It was crazy. My sister has since calmed down, but she finds herself in trouble a bit more than she needs to. My mom has talked to her plenty of times about what to do / not to do. My father, even though he no longer lives with my mom, tries to be an active part of my sister's life. She knows my parents are stressed and feel bad, but she doesn't care. It's as simple as that.
And then, there's those darn parents that we just loooove to hate! You know! The ones that don't care! But the funny thing is that, while we go and point fingers at them, the blame eventually (and unfairly) seeps down to low-income and struggling parents who most likely adknowledge the problems their child have caused and HAVE DONE THINGS ABOUT THEM. That's the great divider. The Dos and Do Nots.
So, what about the welfare jockeys?
(On a side note: Yes. Security seems to be top piority at CPS schools. (I would know, having visited a few and graduated from one recently.) It's pretty depressing. However, can you blame them? These kids are crazy nowadays!)
Field trips to a mall?
No wonder no one graduating HS today can't do anything.
There's no way this could be a teaching moment, even with the claim they would learn how to spend money.
Yahoo,
Everybody must make sacrifices in a tight economy. We simply cannot afford $7000.00 in man hours to arrest one student.
If students were tasered at the first threat and placed in restrained custody for pick up that would be around $1500.00.
BTW Cops are armed with GUNS and had to physically restrain this kid.
Gosh what if the kid went for the gun and got the gun.
Being all hypothetical and stuff.
That is a $5500.00 savings X 4 a week X The shortest school year in the country X how many schools in Cook County/ 5 = $$$$$$$$ saved.
So what city services are you willing to cut to pay for the current system?
Yes everyone has a right to the privilege of education. Expulsion from the school system is already an option, I am saying move the bar for expulsion and the way we accommodate expelled students.
Social contract, for the privilege of education you will be a good citizen, if you violate that contract then you owe society a debt to the taxpayers for the offending students mistakes and that will be paid with forced labor.
Yes we Can!!!!
We can change laws.
We can demand something from this and future generations.
We can provide a safer/better school system for this and future generations.
And then, there's those darn parents that we just loooove to hate! You know! The ones that don't care!
You're right. I do love to hate these type of parents.
But the funny thing is that, while we go and point fingers at them, the blame eventually (and unfairly) seeps down to low-income and struggling parents who most likely adknowledge the problems their child have caused and HAVE DONE THINGS ABOUT THEM.
Well, the behavior of the child will almost always "seep down" to the parent and I don't find that particularly unfair in most cases. Sure, there are extreme cases where children given everything are still more influenced by their peers than parents and commit horrible acts. But the ability to resist that extreme behavior is something that a parent has to instill, right? We're all a reflection of our parents, for better or worse. We may differ from then in political viewpoint, social standing, etc., but there are parts of our personality that are shaped by them, by their presence or even their absence. So if a parent has "DONE THINGS ABOUT THEM", great. But I don't tend to give anyone else a pass just because they're busy working to "keep a roof over their head". And if they've "done things about them" and the kid continues to cause problems, maybe they (the parent) need to do more.
a field trip to a mall?
a field trip to a suburban mall?
what's wrong with Gateway Mall?
My mom sent me to Regina. It is a private girl's school in Wilmette. We looked at Von Steuben and Lane Tech way back then and my mom said, "The public schools have to take EVERYBODY until they're 16. What has changed? Can't they bounce these disruptive asses after age 16 or do they have to take them until 18 or until graduation? My son is a senior at Northside Prep (a Chicago Public School) and they don't put up with this shit. I know of a kid who was suspended recently for dope.
Also, my mom worked very hard to pay for Regina. She was a full time dental hygienist and worked every other Saturday too. I worked at Lockwood Castle to help out with tuition. In addition, sometimes the kid's mom has to try to stick it out with her husband (an alcoholic college professor who cheated on her with co-eds) because it is the financially sound decision for the children until they graduate. God forbid, anybody has to sacrifice for kids they chose to have!
As for field trips to the mall, my son has one twice a week working at Ruby Tuesday. That is where he is taught how to manage his money.
I have to agree. A field trip to the Mall? Timmy, that's just silly. I could see a trip to the supermarket. Teaching kids how to shop for food properly is very important. These kids should know there's more to eat than 25 cent bag of cheeto's. But a Mall? Come on Sullivan -- you can do better than that.
I think, Craig, I have to be "pro-Timmy" on this one. If all the kids in his class have one disability or another, it is extremely important for them to see "the other world" that's out there.
There is also the matter of teaching "interaction with others" that can be very helpful.
And, just getting out of RP/Sullivan can be rejuvenating, if only for a few hours, for these young people.
But I have a question: If Senn has become a ROTC school, is that why Isiah "Freaky" Stroud couldn't hack it there, and consequently had to be sent to DuBois Alternative?
Had they made him stay at Senn and learn some discipline, he might still be alive, don't you think?
To Man on the Street:
Understandable. The reason I made that rant is because the general stigma of parents not doing enough (ever) seems to come from all angles, be it from some of the comments here, conversations with others, etc.
Hey, as said, we certainly can't deny that some parents seriously need to step up and take care of their business. (And more power towards those who have and whatnot.) However, it irked me so that the general atmosphere seemed all torch and pitchforky towards parents, if you know what I mean. I was just pointing out the exceptions for the sake of offering another viewpoint.
I'm not giving Timmy the business. I'm giving the system the business for choosing a Mall for a field trip.
Timmy just goes with the flow. I hope Timmy knows that.
Well, first of all, I agree completey with the last post Grammar Gal made. That field trip made us see the "other world" out there. And yes, it kind of taught us how to interact with others.
Craig, I also agree with you somewhat. I don't like all the field trips we go on. There's been a field trip or two we've been on in past that I didn't like. I didn't like the field trip to the mall that much, but I have to go with the flow. And at least I got out of there for most of the day.
If you want to say that the trip seems silly, you can tell my teachers that, not me. I'm not involved in the planning of these trips whatsoever. I've personally been wanting to go on trips to places like the 911 center (to learn about what they do) or other governmental buildings, but I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be allowed to go to those places.
Sock Pupperter, I hate to say it, but I abouselty disagree with your comment. You should remember that we're disabled and that we'll never learn to do a few things, despite all of the education in the world. I'm also pretty sure that kids who were in my clasroom before me that have graduated are doing things. And they may be doing great at it. I will admit, though, that not all of this was intent on teaching (in my opinion). Some of it was probably to have some fun as well. It can't be about all serious business every second/minute/day.
You guys will probably be much happier to hear that we went to the Muesum of Surgical Science today. It was a History lesson if anybody really wants to know.
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