Planners of Pride Campus never shied away from touting their proposed high school as a haven for gay youth seeking refuge from sometimes hostile traditional classrooms.
But under mounting pressure from ministers and gay activists alike, the name has changed and the focus broadened to create a school that would be one of the nation's largest to serve any students victimized by bullying and harassment.
If approved by the country's third-largest school district Wednesday, the Social Justice Solidarity High School would join several smaller U.S. campuses aimed at serving students who have been tormented for everything from their religious beliefs to their weight.
The fact that such a school is even contemplated shows how little schools are doing in Chicago to manage the anti-social behaviors of students.
"Pride Campus"? "Social Justice Solidarity High"? How about "Crappy Administration Made This School Necessary" High. Or perhaps "You Should Have Taught Your Kid How Not To Be A Bully, You Loser" High. Or if you want to blame the victim, I guess, "Thin Skin" High.
How about this for a bumper sticker: "Your cretin beat up my honorable kid, and it's my kid who had to change schools."
Laugh, or cry?
But you really trust and administration to do a good job at taking care of bullies. You've posted about bogus sensativity training before and how it isn't taken seriously and doesn't work. This idea is not the best way to fight bullying; it's an easy way out. But in the end, there's not a lot the administration can do about bullying, especially when it's not overtly violent or malicious. In some cases, it can be best for a kid to change schools, and it's not a punishment. Not everyone wants to be a fighter. Some kids just want a peaceful accepting place to learn, which is really the first objective.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, there are kids that I wish I could refer to just such a school. I have several gay students who feel the need to act out in public and outrageous fashions which ends up just getting them in trouble. I asked one of them why he did things like making out with his boyfriend in school and he said to make a point. Since we don't allow any students to make out in school, I guess the point that he was still subject to the rules applied. But his self-outing just escalated other problems. And I won't even go into our continuing situation with several very out there lesbian students who seem to be itching for a fight and do provocative things to make it happen. I smell a lawsuit in the offing.
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