47 replies to this topic

[Bill]

Sounds like it is going to be a busy weekend around the college. Hope the students keep their heads down.

[Herb]

I believe you may be right. The scanner has been going crazy since around 4 p.m. Already a call to Gush's for a disturbance and several calls to the Westside with people fighting in the roads and breaking windows out of homes in the 300 block of west Gray Street. A construction worker called it in because he was afraid his tools were going to be stolen by a bunch of drunks who were running wild in the area. Gonna be a great night in the fabulous Near Westside Neighborhood. Let's hope the $174.000.00 home rehabbed by the City survives. We got to get at least $50 grand out of it.

[Bill]

Cold weather is supposed to slow this kinda thing down.People must be getting cabin fever.

[Herb]

My daughter went to Broadway and it was out of control even then. Earl Bush tried his damndest to get things on track but he just got kicked to the curb. If the above post is true then why haven't we heard about it in the News ? This is scary stuff in today's world. Anyone out there know anything about this ? If there were 20 kids on the receiving end of those needle's I can see a hell of a law suit headed our way. Can things get any worse ? The other day someone was telling me some Horror stories about Ernie Davis. Teachers are looking the other way to save their jobs while the kids who are truly trying to get an education are having to hide in the corners to stay safe. What the hell is going on. Any one have a clue or care ?

[Sweet Sensations]

I believe there truely are problems in the schools, but hiding in corners???? This is just silly! Sure there are fights, sure there is nonsense, but I think many things are sensationalized. Think about the number of doctors, lawyers, and upper-class taxpayers that have children, they have the means to send their children to private schools, yet choose EDMS and EFA or Broadway and SHS over the latter. Sure teachers fear for jobs, but for the most part I think they do the best they can with what they have. You can only do as much as the person in front of you will allow.

[Herb]

"Then why do we need an armed Officer in the Hallway's ?" Not to be argumentative but my Daughter also went to Beecher when we lived in Lowman. There were a lot Lawyer's , Doctor's and upper-class tax payers children there in the 80's when she was there. But most of them were in the "SAGE" program and there was a seperation of sorts going on. We tried for a couple of years to get her in the program but were always told that there were no openings. The good thing about that was that she became friends with the "Lower" class children and was accepted by them (and pretty much protected by them also). Sad to say but that was under the Wilma Hughey reign of Beecher. When we finally moved back into the City she went to Broadway and it went downhill from that point on. As for doing "only as much as the person in front of you will allow ". I'm at a loss to understand that. My theory was always to stand in front of that line and make the people in charge aware that I was not going to take what they were dishing out in the form of ignoring the situations. If our Daughter was a problem we were the first to discipline her. But when the little "thugs" at Broadway started their bullying games by pushing her into the roadway in front of cars on her way to school we were there for her to deal with the Administrators and Teachers who did nothing about it. Screw the theory of doing only what the person in front of you will allow. I happen to be paying the highest school taxes in the Country (73% above the NATIONAL average). So I do believe I have every right to expect to know what is truly going on in those "Corners". The people I get my information from are just like me. They are totally disgusted with what is happening and not getting out to the Public. Currently I have to rely on the people I talk to who have children and grand-children in the District's schools for information. And there seems to be quite a lot that we never hear about . (i.e. hiding in the corners). No disrespect intended with this post and I respect your feelings on this. But since I have a Grand-Daughter who will be coming on line in a few years for her education (most likely at the private level , we'll see though) I have a dog in this fight. Now, has anyone else heard about the 'needle' incident at Broadway ? I called a friend and was told that they had caught the perps and were moving forward with it in the system. Frankly, having put almost 3 decade's in the Prison system I'm truly disgusted that any child would subject his peers to this type of a prank without thinking of the possible consequences of Aids/Hepatitis and all the other new and unusual diseases popping up these day's. And if I'm getting wrong information I would also like to be set straight on what happened. Thanks...

[Buster]

The Principal at Broadway will do everything he can to keep this under wraps. He will personally crush any staff member who speaks out on this. That is his style, bully those who speak out and reward those who follow blindly. It is obviously out now so he will start his usual damage control and say it was a small issue that is being handled. He is another Joe H. buddy who lacks true leadership skills and makes up for it by being a tough guy, especially to women.

[edugirl6]

I heard that it was not needles and it was a tack and charges were filed against the said students who did this. I also heard that this wasn't an out of control kid who was going around stabbing people. Teenagers do stupid things all of the time without thinking. They do it to be funny or impress the next kid. One of the teachers told me that this was the case with this kid, wasn't thinking of the reprocussions but instead was being a prankster. He had it in his hand and was in the hallway high fiving and patting kids on the shoulder that he knew and walked past. I guess those kids will learn that even being a prankster could have legal problems attached to it... BTW she said that it happened twice and that there was an announcement made to make students aware of both the health reprocussions and legal reprocussions of said actions if anyone else chose to be part of the problem. Teachers in the building also talked with their classes about the transmission of diseases by doing these sort of things.She also said that the school nurses called the doctor's offices of students that were involved and called parents etc..So settle down people..... the situation and the students were handled from what I understand. Not everythign that happens in school makes the front page news... I am surprised though that there wasn't a news release about this to all the students/parents in school. Teachers didn't sit back and do nothing about it and look the other way.

[Herb]

I feel so good about it now ! It has been confirmed as happening and the Administrators did not notify the students/parents ! Great job . Sad to say that the Teachers also do not seem to have done their jobs in controlling the actions of their minions either. You on the other hand edugirl6 seem to be defending these actions a childish pranks. Aren't these kids in "Middle School " ? That puts them in the category of being old enough to understand the consequences of doing these things. But soon they will be in the State system throwing Fece's and Unine on the Correction Officers and Civilian Staff and telling them it's just a prank. Wow, thanks for the confirmation though. And MY source of what happened isn't taking it so lightly . And his grand son was smart enough to realize the seriousness of what was happening and stay out of it without having to be told ! "Prankster"

[Bill]

Needle sticks are not a prank, it is an assault, if any of the people stuck have a blood borne disease, it could be attempted manslaughter.There is case law on this that I know of.

[edugirl6]

Wow Herb.... can you remember back to when you were a teenager and doing stupid things? I am sure that you and some other members of this forum could share some stories that were a little dangerous as well. I am sure that you weren't thinking at the time of the health and saftey and legal reprocussions of what you or some of your friends were doing. Teenagers have the mentality of nothing can happen to me. They don't think past their own selfish needs. That is psychology 101! Not making excuses just stating the rationale. And re read my posts.. the administrators did notify the parents and students of all of those involved. The news was just not notified, there is a difference. He also made an announcement about the legal and health reprocussions of said actions and let the students know that charges were being filed... As for me defending him as a childish prank.. not what I said! I said that this was the case as compared to the implication that it was an out of control child angry running around and stabbing everyone with needles that he could find. As a teacher you can not control every single thing that happens. This is evidenced in even things as serious as school shootings etc... No matter what you do or how many timesDuring passing time at school in the hallways there are approximately 300 students in one hallway with only 6-8 teachers at the most. Could you control every thing that happened in the yard when you were in the prison? How many inmates to guard ratio was there and just how many incidents happened when someone was stabbed, assaluted, or etc...?

[edugirl6]

BTW I do think that charges should have been brought and I am not defending the said student... just giving some facts as they came to me...So again, the minute the teacher comes on to defend or explain some things in schools it is jump all over them.... and you wonder why you don't get teachers to come on here and join and tell you somethings that are going on... when all they will be told is they do nothing even when something was done... they don't prevent this or they didn't do their job... Give me a break!

[edugirl6]

your right Bill needle sticks are not a prank... but again may I remind you that it was a tack. and tack attacks are not a prank either. Charges have been filed.

[Bill]

Excellent to hear, needle sticks and tack sticks, where blood is transferable in my mind, are identical.I think, from my reading on it, they are identical under the law also. I will be interested to follow this. Thanks for the updates Edugirl!

[Herb]

Since I'm on my way out the door I'll wait to respond to the above. But two things ; I never did stupid things that would hurt other people. And the things I did were responded to with a swift kick in the ass by both my teachers and my Mother and Grand Father. As for the ration of Inmates to Officers in the yards ; Generally around 50 to 1 and believe it or not we got the job done and saved many an Inmate and fellow Officer from sure death. Notice I didn't say "Pranks". Guess we can be happy that it was only a "Tac" and not a plastic spork.....

[Chris]

So again, the minute the teacher comes on to defend or explain some things in schools it is jump all over them.... and you wonder why you don't get teachers to come on here and join and tell you somethings that are going on... when all they will be told is they do nothing even when something was done... they don't prevent this or they didn't do their job... Give me a break!

Edugrl6 brings up a good point here. The people on the front lines are the best sources of information about what's going on in the halls. No need to jump all over them when they come forward. Comparing a 5'1 120# teacher to a C.O. trained in dealing with violent felons is a bit of a stretch to say the least. I read the posts and it looks like it's being handled properly. Not everything that happens in this county needs to have a spot light shined on it by the local excuse for media to confirm it's being handled. This kind of prank, and to kids that age that's what this is, is nothing new. It was happening in the halls of EFA when I was there 20 years ago. And remember, that was at the height of the AIDS awareness campaign. It was easy enough to make it known the first person who came at me with anything of the sort would be picking their teeth off the floor and voila, no problems. Not every kid in the middle/ high school age is as responsible as we think they should be.. fact is, most aren't. We did stupid shit at that age that could have injured ourselves or others in some way or another. I think sometimes the veil of adulthood clouds that view over the years, often for the better. It's what makes the difference between telling someone you'll beat the shit out of them for pricking you with a needle, even in jest vs. ensuring proper charges or punishment is meted out for assault on our kids ( which it is, thumbtack, hypo needle or meat cleaver ). YMMV

[Herb]

Just a little reminder.

[edugirl6]

your right Herb you guys prevented things in the yard etc.. everytime that you could... yet things still happened. I don't blame the co for not preventing everything that happens. For every 50 - 100 incidents you may have prevented there is still just that one time when soemthing does happen. Prisoners think outside of the box and figure out ways to get around the system and establishment. It is the same at school...everyday we prevent and intervene on things that could cause injury to other students. But yet somethings just happen no matter how vigilent the teacher is. Just like no matter how vigilent the CO is. Teenagers are also good thinkers.. they figure out ways to do things without trying to get caught. Chris you are right... not every kid in middle/high school is as responsible as we think they should be and how many times after you got caught doing something and got lectured by your parents.. you still thought what was the big deal? It isn't until we grow older that we realize just how stupid we were and the reprocussions for some of our actions. Herb that is the difference... when you acted up you got swift kick from your teachers and your parents. That is not the case today in many situations. I think that I kind of explained in a previous post about how I was treated by a parent when all I did was remind their child daily about being prepared for class and raised my voice just a little. Do you think that same parent did anything when their child told me to shutup, that I am stupid, or called me a bitch. INstead it was what did you do to make my son mad? If you didn't bother him all the time by asking him where his homework was then maybe he would respect you... That is what we deal with on a daily basis. But no matter how many times a teacher explains how they deal with these situations it is construed as complaining. Toughen up , I wish I could get summers off, you make too much money and have too many benefits, etc... Yet on a daily basis teachers not only educate students, plan lessons, grade papers, make parent phone calls, argue with administrators about policy, try to keep up with the states everchanging curriculum policies, bullshit standardized testing, follow up with disruptive students both in person and in the paperwork sense, etc... It is always something and that is my job and this what I love to do. So why speak up when you know that you will be scrutinized and condemned for your actions anyway? HOpefully when someone hears us "complain" over and over again about what really goes on maybe some time it will change. Many days no matter what it is a no win situation but yet many teachers including myself go back to school everyday because they enjoy teaching the kids that want to learn and are willing to take on the bullshit of kids and parents who are disruptions to the learning process because they know that somewhere along the way it does make a difference for at least one kid. BTW my union has filed multiple grievances this year about different things going on administratively. It ends up being nothing more than apology with some small amount of change. ARe there bad teachers that turn the other way... absolutely I am sure that there is a handful of them. Just like there is a handful of bad cops, bad co's etc.. who give their profession a bad name as well. Did you know that if you have an IEP that there are special rules about you being suspended compared to regular education students? Did you know that if you have an Iep that there are special rules about being put in in school suspension compared to that of a regular education student? Did you know that you can file as much paperwork as you want but yet the county won't file pins petitions against students who are repeat offenders because schools are told that they need to come up with alternative measures to deal with students? Did you know that students have broken into the homes of some of their teachers and have been charged but are still allowed to sit in the classrooms and schools that the person that they violated works in? Did you know that there are students who have physically touched/assaulted teachers but never get charged because administration won't file the paperwork? Did you know that they still sit in the same classroom even though last week they pushed you or verbally assaulted you? Did you know that there are students who can miss as many as 30- 50 days of school but yet DSS refuses to charge parents with educational neglect? They refer you to another agency called CIS? Did you know that you can call a parent and request teacher conferences and they don't bother to show up or call you back? But yet they want to know why little Billy failed your class? I could keep going....