Tuesday, February 07, 2006

CPS tells principals to tweak the rules a tad

News item: There were more than 8,000 student arrests in Chicago last school year. James Bebley, assistant general counsel for Chicago Public Schools, is looking into ways to get principals to find alternatives to calling police. Bebley said, "If it's a fight between two kids ... the fight's over ... they shake hands ... they're best friends ... there's no reason to have a child arrested."

CPS presents a new-and-improved Uniform Discipline Discretion Code

Group 1 Acts of Misconduct
loitering, cheating, persistent tardiness

Disciplinary Action - First Violation
Maximum: Teacher-Student-Parent Conference Lure student into the classroom with a piece of candy.

Disciplinary Action - Repeated/Flagrant Violations
Maximum: In-School Suspension Give child a permanent marker to have something to do while in the hallways.

Group 2 Acts of Misconduct
leaving school without permission
use or possession of tobacco products
failing to abide by school rules and regulations

Disciplinary Action - First Violation
Maximum: Teacher-Student-Parent-Resource Person-Administrator Conference Instill pride into the little troublemaker. Honor as student of the month and reward with a t-shirt in school colors.

Disciplinary Action - Repeated/Flagrant Violations
Maximum: Suspension (one to five days) or Disciplinary Reassignment Lock up child in a tiny, windowless closet and have him/her smoke an entire pack of cigarettes (one to five hours). That'll learn 'em.

Group 3 Acts of Misconduct
Any behavior that is seriously disruptive
Fighting - two people, no injuries
Persisting in serious acts of disobedience or misconduct
Disruptive behavior on the school bus

Disciplinary Action - First Violation
Maximum: Suspension (one to five days) Put on school play (one to five acts) and give troubled child the lead role. He/She just wants attention.

Disciplinary Action - Repeated/Flagrant Violations
Maximum: Suspension (six to 10 days), Disciplinary Reassignment and/or Reassignment Give student the job of school bus driver (six to 10 days) to teach what it's like.

Group 4 Acts of Misconduct
False activation of a fire alarm
Assault
Vandalism or criminal damage to property

Disciplinary Action
Maximum: Suspension (one to 10 days) Disciplinary Reassignment, and Police Notification Suspend (one to 10 days) from a firetruck's ladder as firefighters race through the streets to yet another false alarm.

Group 5 Acts of Misconduct
Aggravated assault
Trespassing
Disorderly Conduct

Disciplinary Action
Suspension (six to 10 days) and/or Disciplinary Reassignment and/or Police Notification. Both arrest by the Police and expulsion. If a student is expelled, Alternative School Placement may be recommended for the period of the expulsion. Counseling (one to 10 days). Perhaps this child comes from a troubled home and just needs to talk it out. He's everybody's best friend now ... there's no reason to have the child arrested.

Group 6 - Acts of Misconduct
Use, possession, and/or concealment of a firearm/destructive device or other weapon

Disciplinary Action
Police Notification and/or arrest, suspension for 10 days, and expulsion for a period of not less than one calendar year, or as modified on a case-by-case review by the Chief Executive Officer or designee. Alternative School Placement may be recommended for the period of the expulsion. Successful completion of a Board sponsored student assistance program may serve in lieu of expulsion for first-time offenders of 6-5 Acts of Misconduct which do not involve the sale or delivery of illegal substances. Do a background check. If child has possible connection to a terrorist organization (or the Democratic Party), ship for after-school detention in Cuba. If child is only a member of a local street gang, start an after-school program in the building for the youths to let out all that energy.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

when I went to a CPS high school (graduated '04) we got that handbook at the beginning of the year and always laughed at it... because, really, nothing will happen. The teachers don't tell on people and the administrators (who are the evil ones who do care about violations) are hated by everyone and couldn't catch a fish in a barrel. Basically, there needs to be rewards for tattling on each other to enforce rules.

10:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's very different from the school at which I work, where the teachers try to enforce the rules but the discipline office ignores or acts slowly on write-ups. A student might be written up for something today and won't be called down to the office and suspended until a month or so later, when everyone has already forgotten the incident. Then, teachers are told at meetings that we have too many write-ups, putting us on a list of bad schools.

12:47 AM  

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