In My Day, I Would've Been Fined $1 Million
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Bad words are costing Hartford Public and Bulkeley high schoolers $103 each.
Police officers assigned to the schools have fined about two dozen students for cursing in a new program to curtail unruly behavior. The joint
effort by school and police officials targets students who swear while defying teachers and administrators.
"We're sending a message to the parents and to the teachers," said Sandy Cruz-Serrano, senior adviser to Superintendent of Schools Robert Henry. "We are trying to bring back order to the schools."
Parents are required to pay the fines if the students cannot.
"Our heads are spinning with that," said Sam Saylor, president of the district Parent Teacher Organization. "The kids are really indecent with their swearing and they're swearing at teachers. This is their way of curtailing it — making the parents pay."
Keila Ayala, 17, a Hartford Public sophomore, said she was ticketed for shouting an expletive in an officer's face while handcuffed for taking a swing
at him.
"It'll stop me from swearing," she said. "Well, it won't stop me from swearing, but I won't cuss at the teachers."
George Sugai, who teaches school discipline at UConn's Neag School of Education, is skeptical of the effort. "Research says that punishing kids
doesn't teach them the right way to act," he said.
But Hartford Police Officer Roger Pearl said the program is working. "Before, the kids were swearing all the time. It went from many incidents to
almost nothing," he said. "It's quiet in the halls."
Friday, December 02, 2005
Cussing at Teachers
I found this story entertaining enough that I'll quote it in its entirety here:
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8 comments:
You think *this* is too scary to read? You haven't read much on this blog, have you? :-)
And thank you for the compliment about my blogging. I hope you come back and read more soon.
“... is this real? O.o It's almost scary to read! Like taken straight out of a bad movie :P “
Something this reminds me of…
“This is the theory famously expounded by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in an article entitled Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety, which appeared in Atlantic Monthly in March 1982. They make the consequences of small-scale neglect very clear and very direct:
‘A piece of property is abandoned, weeds grow up, a window is smashed. Adults stop scolding rowdy children; the children, emboldened, become more rowdy. Families move out, unattached adults move in. Teenagers gather in front of the corner store. The merchant asks them to move; they refuse. Fights occur. Litter accumulates. People start drinking in front of the grocery; in time, an inebriate slumps to the sidewalk and is allowed to sleep it off. Pedestrians are approached by panhandlers.’”
Basically, the slippery slope of community deterioration (man, ain’t that a fancy word! :) ). And to goes to something else discussed often in this and other blogs. Lack of parental responsibility for their children. In too many instances parents drop off their children and if the school tries in any way to discipline bad behavior they (the parents)are either in the principal’s face or threatening a law suit.
George Sugai, who teaches school discipline at UConn's Neag School of
Education, is skeptical of the effort. "Research says that punishing kids
doesn't teach them the right way to act," he said.
Darren knows of what I often think of “experts”….experience, not research, says they need to get out of ivory towers and take a walk in the real world…
I HAVE SPOKEN!
The 'broken window effect'. That's it *exactly*. Good call!
The 'broken window effect'. That's it *exactly*. Good call!
And to think my high school guidance counselor said I would amount to nothing! :)
Mik is right. Phooey on George Sugai. Having been a teacher for many years, I've learned that any statement begining with "research says" will end up being a bunch of baloney.
I always ask to see the research. It shuts most people up instantly.
What about the high schools where the teachers join in and cuss along with the kids? (Using all words you can imagine.) Any comments. Is this so they try to reach that age level, with the kids seeing so much profanity nowadays?
I do not support a regular use of such foul language in class.
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