Good afternoon, everyone. Hope all is going good. Anyway, I just received a letter in the mail from my school, Sullivan High. It's regarding our orientation day (where we get our ID pictures taken, our schedules, etc.). At first, I wasn't going to share it with you guys, but I saw something which kind of surprised me. Strict changes are coming to Sullivan this upcoming year. It's nothing I've seen before. Here are the changes, and here are my insights/opinions towards it.
Changes:
- The school is changing the time we start. We will now start at 7:30am, instead of 7:45am. Everyone has to be at school by 7:30 and before 7:45. If you come after 7:45, you'll be tardy and you'll have to serve a detention that same day. If you don't serve the detention, you'll be suspended for one day.
- No more Division. 2nd period has been extended by 6 minutes to accomdate morning announcements. After 2nd period will be 3rd period. Due to this, our last period will now end at 2:25pm, thus making school get out 15 minutes earlier.
- Loiters in the hallway aren't being allowed. After the bell rings, you're to be in your class. If you are in the halls after the bell, you're subject to a detention on the first offense. Repeat offenses may subject you to "further disciplinary" action.
- The letter wouldn't disclose this information, but it cleary states (quote/unquote) "A summary of common misbehaviors and consequences will in the Parent/Student Guide. Please make sure you read the Guide and make yourself and your child familiar with ALL THE NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (this was caps and bolded in the letter),". I wonder what this means?
My insights/opinions:
- Regarding the time start change - what's this supposed to be about? Why do we have to start 15 minutes earlier? This means I have to get up at 5:00am exactly. It's bad enough I had to get up at 5:30am last school year. Now at 5am exactly? This school's starting to become a little demanding if you ask me. But, on the positive side, we get out a little earlier.
- Regarding Division being taken out - I have two sides of my opinion here. An advantage to this is that kids may no longer be able to cut classes. Removing Division would mean they can't sign in then leave the building like they used to. Two disadvantages to this is that, 1) there would be no way of knowing who's at school and who's not [not unless the school plans on doing a different strategy, such as doing a "roll call" which would have us gathered all in one spot before school and attendance be taken that way], and 2) how would I be able to catch up on my work? I have more classes next year, so this will be kind of hard to complete all of the work with no Division. Hopefully staying back at school while the rest of my class goes on the weekly trips can help me catch up on work.
- Regarding the Parent/Student Guide - I wonder what this will be about. This is interesting. I just hope it isn't dumb rules, like not being able to chew gum or talk to your friends in the hallway. Hopefully this is policies/procedures regarding fights (and other stuff like it).
Nevertheless, we will see how this goes down over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for reading and have a nice day :).
25 comments:
1. Many CPS schools start earlier than Sullivan and end earlier. Example: Taft.
2. There is a reason for eliminating 'division.' Too few likely use it for the right. It seems reasonable to keep people focused on school, rather than other distractions. You may be more of the exception. Study when you get home; skip The blog or the cartoon channel.
Rather than bother with CPS logic, it seems like someone wants students to focus. Whether this works is unclear. Breaks are nice, when they fall at the right time of the day. Right after first period seems a bit too early.
Thanks for sharing that. I don't know why they start school so early. Studies have shown that teens especially are sleep deprived.
if i had a magic wand, i would make high school start at noon, 10 am at the latest. teenagers biological clock turn toward being a night person. teenagers also need as much sleep as toddlers. it is simple biology, proven science. so many learning problems and discipline problems would just melt if schools would just accept the facts.
kids can non more use discipline to change this than they can use discipline to stop eating, or be taller. it just is. kids are not machines. people who have entrusted with their care and feeding owe them the respect of accepting that fact.
Hi timmy,
Always love your work.
Just curious what Division is? Not familiar with that term and would like to understand what that is :)
Lafew:
A few things here. One, I can see why they eliminated it, but don't you think at least some kids used that time to catch up on their work (like myself)? Some of this work may too be hard to complete in the classes (and some of it was last year, and I have another class or two this year, so it's only getting harder). When I get home, I'd like to relax after getting up at 5 in the morning, dealing with the kids in my Autism class (I'm the smartest student in the program, so the teachers depend on me to help them somewhat with the kids) and then dealing with school work for just about the entire day. I'd like to get away from all of it at home, considering that I'm on my own time anyway.
Another reason why I'm hestiant to do school work at home is because some of it may too hard for my mom (due to the fact she's been out of school for nearly 20 years, she's forgotten most of it) and sister to understand it if I need help. At school, I have my aide (provided if they give me one next year) so that's why I tried to do all of my work at school. By the way, I don't watch cartoons. In fact, I barely watch TV anymore. My life is on the computer, LOL.
Two, yes, breaks are nice. Our break was always after 2nd period, though.
Well, I hadn't seen the work for twenty years, as well. Yet, I made it a priority to work with my kids. That said, I have kids too and trying to get them to focus on their homework rather than computer, unreal or combat type games is always a challenge. We get it done.
The bus arrives here at 6:30a.m. The kids go to sleep earlier as a result. They hit the books and than relax before sleep.
I regret that I can't spend as much time on the blog. I work and have other things to do. You will too, once school starts. Try to balance your time. Don't worry about the blog. Worry about your classes and what you will do with your education.
Save Street End Beaches, agreed. Been there, I for once agree with you as well.
Lisa: Hi :). Division is (was, due to the fact it now longer exists at Sullivan) a 15 minute period where attendance is taken and the kids are in their homeroom at that time.
Another problem I have with not having is a Division is how will my teachers know I'm there? Well, maybe they could take attendance at/before first period (I'm suspecting the Autism program will now start at 7:15 instead of 7:30, due to the fact we come to school via school buses, so maybe that'll help). I'm also worried about how the other kids will have their attendance taken.
My bus comes at 6:30 as well and I go to bed just before 9 on school nights. When I had homework last year (which was rare since I had Division and because I'm allowed an extra day or two to finish my work due to my disablity. The other kids who attend regular classes in my program get that chance too), I made that top priorty over the blog.
When school starts, I was thinking of asking my readers if I could hand the blog over to one of them. This school year will be more busier and harder, and with crime only getting worse in my neighborhood, I unfortunely may not get to blog as often. I feel that the blog should still be published everyday because of that violence, but just not by me, at least when school is in session. I'd glady do it on the weekends, though.
I will be worried about my education more. Altough, I think I'm doing good in school (judging that I was passed to the 10th grade in summer school and the good grades I got last year). However, if my education is interrupted by fighters and other general troublemakers, I'll be making posts here on Craig's blog (at home, of course) so the staff can see what's happening (because most staff read this site religiously) and they can do something about it.
If I had magic wand, I would invent an anti-been there algorithm that shields blogs from her increasingly inane posts. Damn, been there, you're such the contrarian...
The school authorities don't care what the studies have shown.
YES, teens definitely are on a later "clock" and need to sleep later in the morning, but the school authorities don't care. They care only what the teachers and administrators want, which is to get out early in the day. No teen should have to rise before 6:30 AM to get to school on time, and Avondale has my profound sympathy.
I have never seen a private business or public agency less responsive to and more arrogant and contemptuous in its attitudes towards its customers, as the public school systems of the U.S. are towards students and their parents. The attitude toward parents is that they are a bunch of know-nothing irritants and hindrances who want to use the schools as "babysitters" and don't rate consideration for their core needs and their goals for their children. Failure to show up at a PTO meeting because, say, you have a work obligation, is, in their eyes, proof that you "don't care about your kids", and parents who work 8, 10, and 12 hour a day jobs that do NOT give 2 1/2 month paid vacations are expected nevertheless to participate in time-consuming volunteer efforts, and oftentimes, their kids are penalized in the classroom when the parent does not do what is considered to be her part. Ask my sis about the 300 box dinners she and another mother prepared for fundraiser for computers for the kids, just to see the money raised to buy the teachers new personal laptops.
There is almost no transparency and accountability regarding expenditures, as we have seen in the past.
And it's not just CPS, for my sis sees the same attitudes among the educators in her rich suburban school district.
While I agree with what NorthCoast stated, I would like to clarify one misconception...teachers Do NOT get a paid 2 1/2 month vacation! It's called defered pay. They take money out of teachers' paychecks every two weeks so that they can receive paychecks over the summer. Basically, it's a way for CPS to collect interest on teachers' salaries. When complaining about teachers, please try to get the facts straight.
2 1/2 months off included in your salary would seem to me to count as a paid vacation....how the CPS elects to arrange payment does not alter that. The salary is the same no matter what, only the numbers are expressed differently. The CPS could simply divide the same salary by 12 months and pay in 12 monthly installments, and it would be the same.
Seems to me that the current arrangement, taking the money out the paychecks for the summer through the year, and that handing it back during the summer, is only another manner of arranging the same payment.
The fact remains... most people do not get a year's salary for 2 1/2 months off.
I agree with you North Coast - they can slice it anyway they want but the teachers do get a lot of time off for a yearly salary. (although I'm sure it can be a tough job in some of the Chicago Public Schools)
its a tough job being a teacher,
especially at these tough schools of hard KNOCKS,
so i would not begrudge teachers what little perks they get.
Hey, the job needs to have something to attract good, smart people to work there.
Im not sure what you are talking about with the other stuff northcoast, I do know that CPS is not perfect and people shouldnt be pushed into volunteer work.
I hope that sullivan continues to improve, I know that they have a good principal.
I think that Senn should just be military and Sullivan the local public highschool.
I think as the neigborhood turns over Sullivan should improve, just as Lakeview did
well, i can't argue about your sentiment, nc, but i will tell you that cps has no real expectation that any parents will volunteer for anything. my kids went to armstrong, and they barely had the minimum for the 2 legally mandated parent boards, plus a pta that was a one man band.
they usually had to threaten the kids to get enough parents to go along on field trips.
did it "pay" to be the kid of one of those parents? yes, sometimes it did. it paid to be around enough to know what the process is for a lot of things. but nobody ever offered me a job or anything.
I don't begrudge the teachers what they get.
My point is that parents are being asked to perform entirely too much unpaid labor in many school districts that does not directly relate to the success of their own children while still doing workaday jobs that require many more hours in. 300 box lunches is a big load for any mom,whether she works outside the home or not, and so is presiding over dozens of bake sales and other such.
Mo Cahill said...> "nobody ever offered me a job or anything...."
Wow. Someone at the CPS system actually has brain.
i also never asked for one.
nc- what school districts are you talking about? cuz that does not happen in any city school that i know of.
This happens a lot in suburban school districts. My sister lives in an affluent suburb of St. Louis, though she is definitely not affluent.
Mothers are prevailed upon to volunteer many hours of time monthly towards putting together fundraisers for extras like additional computers and sports teams uniforms in this very well-funded school district. Bake sales, dinners, carnivals, you name it. The dinners and bakes sales are the worst, for the moms are expected to bake the goods and make the dinners, in addition to contributing the materials. And don't you DARE go to the grocery store and pick up an Entemann's cake to contribute to the stupid bake sale! Noooooooooooo! You must bake something that could be entered in the Pillsbury Bakeoff. Failure to do this is proof that you're a Bad Momma. And don't use the fact that you must work to support your family as an excuse- that means that- GASP!!- you're one of those Working Mothers who put Material Concerns (like keeping a roof over your head)- don't you know that the only type of parent as maligned as a single mother is a working mother.
Failure to participate in this nonsense in the full spirit demanded will have repercussions for your kid in the classroom. The teachers will subtly and not-so-subtly penalize your kid. They will be more critical of minor rule infractions. He will be cut out of activities, like the school plays. Parent-teacher conferences will be extremely uncomfortable.
So you stay up till 2 AM making 300 box dinners in your home kitchen, even if you have to rise at 5 to get to work, and you especially do this if you're a divorced, working mom.
Teachers are only paid for the 9 and a half months or so that they work. If they work over the summer, they get paid for the summer. Follow me here...their pay is DEFERRED, so every two weeks a percentage of what they should be paid is DEFERRED so that they get a paycheck over the summer. It used to be that they could elect to get paid like everyone else but then they wouldn't get a check over the summer.
Timmy, most attendance is taken with computers now so Division is kind of obsolete. Depending on how your attendance coordinator has things set up, attendance is almost taken in real time now, meaning that they get it updated every period.
Oh and as far as that 2 and a half month vacation goes, a lot of teachers go back to work during the summer to fix their rooms, organize the children, run clubs, coach teams, many "off the clock". People are always so quick to judge teachers but they don't realize how tough a job it is.
Do you go to work just to have kids swearing at you, work in overcrowded, sometimes dangerous environments, and keep going back?
Fenyx, you're right. I've seen it done in person in my Autism room. I was just a little worried since my regular teachers seemed to do attendance by writing, and that there's no Division anymore.
mo knows what she's talking about with regards to teenagers needing more sleep. having recently been a teenager i can agree with her.
i believe it's a terrible idea for your school to eliminate division. division, homeroom, advisory (what it was called at my h.s.) is an important time in which the student can catch up with the same teacher every day for four years, and for a lot of kids i'm sure a homeroom teacher is a lot like an extra parent, someone who the kids can look up to for advice on things when they cannot ask their own parents.
esdsdie, I don't think it's a terrible idea, yet. I'm waiting to see how this plays out over the next couple of weeks. If it doesn't work and everyone tries to make something like a petition to get it back, I'll rally right behind them. I agree that yeah, Division teachers are like an extra parent.
Fenyx- Thanks for understanding defered pay...most people don't get it. I spent about 3 weeks at school this summer (without pay). Teachers are also only paid for the hours that students are in front of them. I probably work an extra 3-4 hours a day without getting paid.
Then there are the school supplies...my students live in public housing, so they come with very little. In the past, I have spent $3,000 for my classroom so that they have a level playingfield (books, computer software...)and they can be proud of their "2nd home".
My point being (I know I went off topic) everyone wants to blame teachers for the disaster that is CPS. Believe me...it's not the selfish, greedy teachers. It's the fancy bigwigs sitting in air-conditioned, downtown offices trying to justify their $100,000+ salaries (If you don't believe me, go down to 125 S. Clark and you will see thousands of people doing very little work). That's were all of our money is going. That's where the decision to start school at ungodly hours are made (do you really think teachers want to get up at 5:00am either?)
Just a little CPS education!
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