student charged with assault

I have no specific knowledge of this incident beyond what was written by amy miller in this morning's journal.

that said; the student was actually charged with felony assault and battery on school personnel by the criminal justice system.

according to the article the student will be allowed to return to school after he signs a "contract" promising not commit another felony assault on the principal or any of his teachers.

this decision, in fact the whole decision making process, will be conducted administratively with no real input from any of the student's teachers (based on my quarter century experience with administrators and, disruptive and dangerous students).

therein the problem. imagine yourself one of this student's teachers. to make it fair, imagine that you, like most teachers, are not physically capable of prevailing in a physical confrontation with a high school senior.

he is back in your class; you have no additional resources, no additional personnel, and nothing except his contract to protect you and your students, if the student again "loses his temper in a really big way."

or imagine that you are a parent of a student in one of his classes. or imagine that you are another student in one of his classes.

realize that as a teacher, or as a parent, or as a student, you have no input whatsoever in this situation. the administration, although responsible for enforcing discipline at any school, will push the problem back into the classroom. shite rolls downhill. (the problem not the student)

realize that nothing is going to change; ever. decisions and policies will always be made for teachers and parents; not by them. the leadership of the aps can point to no evidence that they ever have, or ever will, honestly share decision making power and resources.

realize that administrators will not be held accountable should the worst happen. more than likely, a teacher find themselves accountable for "not providing adequate supervision" for a student with a history of felony assault on school personnel.

as usual, miller and the journal find only the administrative spin newsworthy; the very real fears of the this student's teachers, classmates, and their parents are not.