I took Little One to dinner and a movie this evening (Red Riding Hood). We stopped by the Mall before heading home (we had to make a Icing run). I was standing there talking with Little One about Hello Kitty jewelry and the clerk comes over out of the blue and begins to talk about she didn't know that there were black people in Panama. I asked her what made her say that. She told me that the two black ladies that were just in the store were talking in a different language and she asked them where they were from and they said Panama.
I informed her that yes, people from Panama come in all colors, just like Americans. She said that they don't teach you that stuff in District 150 and she's a senior at Richwoods. I told her that as a black girl, there are some things about people of color that she will need to find out on her own.
She changed the subject and started to tell me that she was kicked out of school and that they had 14 (fourteen) fights at Richwoods last week. My ears pricked up and I said, "14 (fourteen) fights - 14 fights"? Are you sure about that number, she said yes, because her fight was number 14 (fourteen).
I asked her what was the deal with all the fighting - she said:
"When Mr. Ptacek was Principal the rule was 10 (ten) days suspension for fighting but since Mr. Grant came, girls are willing to fight because the suspension is now only 5 (five) days and they are willing to take the 5 (five) day suspension to get at who they want."
She went on to tell me that both people are kicked out - it does not matter who started the fight. She laughed and said, "I'm suspended right now for fighting back, she tried to pull my hair, but I still got all my hair", she said, holding out a long strand of hair.
The young lady was full of conversation, she went on to tell me that she was concerned that she was going to have to go to court. I asked her why, she said she just turned eighteen and the other girl was seventeen. She told me the girl fighting her knew she would be charged if she fought her.
There have been so many conflicting reports on fights at Richwoods. This student clearly told me fourteen fights, with her's being the fourteenth. What to believe?
5 comments:
I had dinner tonight with a parent of a Richwoods student and she told me about all the fighting going on. She said her child told her about a group of about 7 African=American girls in a HUGE fight, pulling out each others weaves. She said there was hair EVERYWHERE. BTW, they are moving out of Peoria, they are fed up with District 150.
The young lady at the mall probably knows what she's talking about. I doubt, however, that anyone announced that suspensions for fighting have been reduced from 10 to 5 days, but if she received only a 5-day suspension, she probably has figured it out. So much for board policy and sanity. I said earlier that kids can sense a vacuum and take advantage of it--seems to be the case. Considering the info I have received 14 seems like a "reasonable" total for the week.
Of course, the principal is not ultimately to blame for this "change" in policy--the administration and board have to sign off on these suspensions. Do you think he's been reprimanded for the lighter consequences?
It is amazing what you can find out at the mall--happens to me, too.
Just heard that the Garfield staff was told that Garfield will close next year. Whittier is already overcrowded--just where do they plan to put these kids? I wonder if the far northend schools are experiencing overcrowded schools and overcrowded classrooms.
I doubt all this talk about fighting would be going on if it weren't happening. It's district-wide.
There's a whole network of students who are willing to fight for the five (and even ten) day suspensions. Again, the schools are starting songster this behavior. Where else in Peoria does this much fighting occur?
The central administrators who allow this nonsense to go on have an elitist attitude that they sadly mistake for a compassionate one. They think, "How can we possibly expect these inner-city students to behave; they're incapable.". Puhlease! I have YET to meet a student who won't step up and behave if he / she wants to stay in school . . . And believe me, the vast majority of students want to stay in school because (if for no other reason) there is NOTHING else to do during the day in Peoria. I've seen many students get booted from high school only to go to alternative school and work their way back in - and maybe they're not 100% model students, but they learn to respect the school rules and view school as more of a privilege or (better) as a right they must respect.
Why not lay down the law on day one instead of waiting until we have to operate in a constant state if lockdown.
People better start speaking up; otherwise, when contracts are up at the end of three years we'll be so deep we may not recover.
A-D
District Watch will meet at Monical's on Knoxville and Lake at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 13. Anyone is welcome--that's why we meet in a public place.
There is a likelihood of a new private high school opening next year (2012), associated with Peoria Academy (secular).
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