Alternative School for problem student...Update zero tolerance

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I think the situation with the problem student that caused my daughter to get suspended is solved. He apparently hit my son several times yesterday and cursed at him. I spoke with the VA State police and the juvenile court intake officer, who stated that they would escort me to the school to confront this student if he assaulted my kids anymore and assault charges could be filed against him. I spoke with the Superintendent this morning and he is off to an alternative school. I told her that I was glad to hear that the school administrators finally stepped in to correct this student. I guess the word accountability has finally sunk into the administrators heads. I really hope that this kid gets some type of counseling. Taking his age into consideration, he needs to be aware that if he continues he will end up in jail.

Rita

-- Rita (rlynchjarss@aol.com), April 12, 2002

Answers

Way to go Rita! Glad this problem is solved for you & your son. One can only wonder what, if anything the school officials would have done had you not confronted them!

-- Debbie in IL (debbie@fli-soft.com), April 12, 2002.

Sorry, I must have missed the original posts. I would have told you to call the local authorities and ask to press charges against the student causing the problem.

At our small school we had the same problem with a girl harassing my daughter. I finally went into the office one day and asked to talke to the superintendent, when I was told he was busy, I ask the secretary to get the county sheriff for me to press assault charges. Funny thing, the superintendent and high school principal immediately became available. I told them that if ANYTHING happened to my daughter or her possessions again, I was not going to talk to them, but call the sheriff. Amazingly, the next 2 years of high school were much quieter.

-- beckie (none@this.time), April 12, 2002.


That's great news, Rita! And I, too, hope that child gets some help.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 12, 2002.

cool

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), April 12, 2002.

Good that he's out of your hair for the moment, but not so good that they would escort you to the school to confront him--you should not even be seeing him outside of a courtroom.

I am not too impressed with district-run alternative schools. I never could understand why, for example they allowed smoking on campus, when the same kids, in regular school, were not.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 12, 2002.



Funny how bringing in authorities / media seems to make people spring into action . . . way to go Rita.

Hey G.T., good point about the smoking issue. Another point is that isn't there a federal law not allowing minors to smoke cigarettes, yet school districts provide smoking areas for their use? Or am I just dreaming?

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), April 12, 2002.


Federal law is you can't sell cigs to minors. No law against minors smoking them. That exact subject of the law and school smoking areas was on the Dr. Laura radio show yesterday.

It seems to me most "alternative" schools are just a place to shuffle troubled kids off to, out of sight out of mind. The real shame is nothing can be done with their parents, who really are the ones that are responsible for their kids behavior 99% of the time.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), April 12, 2002.


Well, Rita can always sue the parents if she wishes (and if they have any assets to go after).

And about the smoking, if hospitals can ban it on their entire grounds (even for adults) for health reasons, why not schools as well?

Another thing too, when I was in school, the term was "continuation school", and it had a very bad connotation to it. "Alternative school" these days can mean anything from continuation school to a school focused on vocational training (which itself can be a negative term depending upon your views of higher education--that is sad, college is not necessarily of value to everyone), or even a school focused on Arts and Sciences--go figure--so now, there is no stigma attached to being sent to an "alternative" school, as there used to be with "continuation" school.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 12, 2002.


GT, hopsitals ban smoking on the entirety of their grounds with ONE exception-The Doctors' Lounge! Hospitals know who brings in the patients and the money so they cater to the docs.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), April 12, 2002.

I didn't know that, Gary, and I am surprised that someone hasn't sued over it for discrimination as well as health reasons (lots of places have no smoking rules), as in allowing a dangerous environment.

If my child were in a school that allowed smoking, I would certainly be complaining to the administration about it.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 12, 2002.



Gary, Many hospitals are now totally smoke free!! The hospital I work at has been smoke free for 10-12 years now. Even the doc's must go outside if they must have the ciagarette. As a nurse who used to practically get sick everytime I was assigned a "smoking patients" room this has been a great advancement. Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), April 12, 2002.

When did my post become a "smoking issue"

LOL Rita

-- Rita (rlynchjarss@aol.com), April 12, 2002.


I saw on/in the news not long ago that "they" were trying to pass a bill that will make it illegal for children to bully other children. It's about damned time. I work at Purdue University and we as administrators are taught ZERO TOLERANCE for bullying or harassment. Why is it that school officials see the minor grades as "pecking order/dominance" issues instead of what it is? Seems that it's the same problem. If we stop it in the minor grades we won't see it later! Good job, Rita!! Way to be a great parent and concerned member of society!!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), April 12, 2002.

Rita, read my earlier posts concerning "alternative schools" :-)

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 13, 2002.

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