This week's Board Meeting agenda can be found here. Items of Note:
Craig will provide an update on the enrollment, which has apparently seen a significant increase beyond the expected open enrollment students.
Members to the Ad Hoc Committee to Study Grade Configuration in Monona will be appointed.
The Athletic Field Use Ad Hoc Committee will provide the board with an update on their progress.
The P&P Committee will present the High School Extra-Curricular Code of Conduct for approval.
Monday, September 8, 2008
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9 comments:
Regarding code of conduct, how comes it's against our rules for teens to drink, but being sexually active is not mentioned? Is that not as dangerous, or even more dangerous, than drinking for, say, a fifteen year-old? Why the fixation on alcohol? What about shoplifting? Would a kid who gets caught shoplifting get kicked off the football team? How about speeding 30 mph over the speed limit? Do we monitor other misdemeanor activity besides drinking?
The code lists the following as violations:
1. Regardless of the participant’s age - use, purchase, sale, being "under the influence," distribution, or possession, of tobacco, drugs, and paraphernalia associated with controlled substances, alcohol, or look-alikes.
2. Attendance at an event/party, without the participant's parent being present, where the participant is knowingly in the presence of (1) an underage person possessing or using alcohol, or (2) a person possessing or using an illegal drug. The following are to be considered excluded: 1- Attendance with parent or other adult designated by a parent, 2- Religious ceremonies.
3. Serious misconduct, as defined in the School Code of Conduct.
4. Disrespect of other's rights and property. Examples of this include the following: egging, destruction or defacing the belongings of others including schoolwork; physical or verbal abuse; threats; hazing; and other acts of vandalism or disrespect of anyone’s rights.
5. Violation of state statutes or any criminal act. The investigator will determine penalties for students who violate state statutes or engage in criminal acts. The penalty can be appealed.
I am quite sure that police report drinking & drug violatoins to the schools. However, do they report reckless traffic violations and other misdemeanors? Why does this code focus particularly on alcohol use as though that's the worst possible behavior a student could engage in? (I do not sanction alcohol or drug use by teens, but I think we focus on that and ignore a lot of equally risky behaviors.) Also, why are we saying a student can't be in the presence of someone else who is breaking the underage drinking law? It's not illegal for someone under 21 to be in the presence of someone else who is under 21 that is drinking, correct? How can we tell our students that they can't do something that is not illegal?
I think the reason for the focus on alcohol is because of the public awareness of the issues of underage drinking, and a history problems in the past. The rate of alcohol induced crashes is highest for people aged 15-20, and it is a leading cause of death in that age group. Alcohol also appears a contributing factor in teen suicide, risky sexual behaviour and sexual assault.
The Activities code of conduct is a voluntary agreement the students participate in as a condition of access to extra-curricular activities. It does not tell students what to do outside of the context of this agreement.
If it's a condition of participation, it is hardly voluntary.
You haven't addressed how the district believes it can order students, when off-campus, to not engage in behavior that is legal. I am pretty sure it is not illegal for a minor to be in the mere presence of another minor who is consuming alcohol. This is not a small detail. This "known presence" or whatever it is called in the code, is a very sticky problem. We have students who choose not to drink, but will remain with friends who are drinking to ensure their safety. They will stay so they can drive their drunk friends to prevent a drinking and driving tragedy. Yet, if caught doing this, they stand to lose a lot. This issue always gets swept under the rug when the code is talked about. I've had teenagers and in my opinion, this code helps as much as it hurts as far as teen drinking because the possible sanctions push the whole thing underground, and parents are faced with tough choices about being complicit in keeping things quiet. If we care about risky teen behaviors, then the district needs to look at good research about how to prevent these behaviors and then implement strategies that actually work.
Say-what is with all the folks to be from the Grove who want to be a part of the grade configuration study for Monona?
I would hope that if the board appoints people from the Grove to help formulate a future for Monona- that you make this a district-wide study committee.
Exactly-if you think for one minute that Monona is going to go for closing schools with Grove people telling them to do it.
There will be a big battle.
I agree if it is a district-wide committe we need to be studying space across the district and all options are on the table.
This is one school district. Yet, the board needs to be practical about this committee. It should be composed largely of Monona people, but also be careful to include a few from CG. That preserves district unity but also acknowledges that this issue is surely of more concern to Monona parents than anyone else.
"It should be composed largely of Monona people, but also be careful to include a few from CG"
Strongly Agree.
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