Double standard
Posted by BrianThe Huntsville Times ran an article on Sunday showing statistics that black students are more likely to get arrested than white students in most north Alabama schools. I’ll try to comment on the content of the story later if I can find the time, but I was surprised to see the nature of the offenses that officers are arresting kids for.
[I]n Huntsville and Decatur, officers arrest disruptive students, with causes ranging from pushing and fighting to cursing a teacher. Students are handcuffed, driven to the juvenile detention home, fingerprinted and released to their parents.
Seriously. What happened to disciplining kids in the school?
The story quoted the state PTA president who made a great point.
“To me it’s ironic,” said Laurie McCaulley, state PTA president and a candidate for the Huntsville school board. “We didn’t arrest our state senator for fighting. Yet we expect zero tolerance for our children in school.”
McCaulley is, of course, referring to the altercation in the Alabama Senate last year where Charles Bishop slugged Lowell Barron. I couldn’t agree more with her observation.
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May 20th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Remembering how tensions were resolved when my high school integrated. The coaches from the combined schools roamed the halls and grounds with their paddles and were quick to break up potential fights. For some reason, it went smoothly.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Corporal punishment was also pretty effective at my high school.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Don’t think it was so fear of getting hit as the fact the coaches clanged when they were walking around. Something to do with brass ovoids I still believe 30+ years later.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:23 am
I think that it is good that the police are enforcing discipline in the schools. I think that the teachers / administrators were outmatched in some of the schools.
The police only arrest students they witness fighting, hearing about a fight doesn’t count. Some of these schools are pretty violent places… Thug culture needs to be overcome so that the kids who want to learn have a chance - if that means putting the junior thugs away, just do it.
It seems that there is a correlation between the discipline problems in a school and poor performance on SAT tests (i.e., Davis Hills Middle School). I find it odd that the most overcrowded high school (Grissom at 140% capacity) is also the safest.
Apparently no police saw Bishop’s assault and IIRC no one pressed charges. I think he should be censured and that the State GOP should encourage him to retire; failing that I hope that the voters in his district vote him out of office.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Bishop isn’t going anywhere, if the ALGOP had a spine he’d be gone already. For some reason people see this guy as a hero who “gave Barron what he deserved” and say, my favorite, “he was standing up for his mom.” Bishop could win Governor in this state.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 am
I still have a 2002 “Bishop for Guv” Nail file on my desk I use from time to time.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 am
when he ran a a democrat
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:09 am
I think that it is very sad that the police are getting involved in schools for fighting. I am a 5′0 woman who taught high school in a rough school. In the year and a half I spent there I sent 2 kids to the office (for behavior with a sub - not me). I was extremely outmatched by many of the boys and since I was the new teacher I was given the “trouble” kids no one else wanted in their class. And you want to know what - when trouble erupted, I dealt with it (and quite well too seeing as though I even broke up a fight with two football players because the kids knew you don’t mess with Mrs. L).
I strongly believe that police do not belong in a school unless the matter is a legal one. The schools and teachers need to discipline the children. In fact, this story just makes me think even stronger about home schooling my children. Kids are kids and sometimes fighting is a part of it. I’m am by no means saying that is acceptable because I would never have allowed it in my classroom but it should be dealt with in the environment in which it occurred. Now, that being said, I think the schools need to “buck up” and make a clear statement to parents and children that suspension and in school suspension (which I am a huge proponent of) will be enforced. Only after these measures have been taken should the police be called.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 am
OK Brian,
This is getting scarey. I agree with you 100%.