Township High School District #214
Teacher: Lazaro Lopez And David Schuler
Youve violated students rights
Teacher Complaint About: Township High School District #214 - Lazaro Lopez And David Schuler
Author: Undisclosed
Grade: 12
Occur date: Dec 11 2009
Post date: Dec 12 2009, 12:53:10 AM
Teacher Complaint: Lazaro Lopez And David Schuler - Township High School District #214
You have infringed on the rights of your students in several ways. You've infringed on their rights by:
1. adding video surveillance- they may let you know who did what, but they don't make your school any safer than it was before they were there. You're also profiling students, especially minority students whom you believe are all in gangs because of their skin color. Not all minority students are in gangs. Plus, it's expensive. You paid $30,000 or more for your system and also have to calculate the costs of maintaining and upgrading it. Video surveillance creates a climate of distrust and fear. It sends the message that every student is a criminal or in a gang just because they go to your school. It sends the message to visiting high schools that your school is so bad, you feel the need to spy on everyone. If your system uses audio, while it could be helpful, it could also be used to sue you over 4th amendment violations. If you use it to infringe on a student's "reasonable expectation of privacy," such as placing one in a locker room or bathroom, you could get sued. Under the law, schools cannot use audio recordings on their video surveillance system, cannot be placed inside a building, and cannot intrude. All students must be fairly monitored. Using it in an unethical manner isn't fun for anyone. Plus, at any given time, over half of the cameras either aren't switched on or don&t work. Theyre also not on between 2:50 PM (the end of the day) and whenever the building is opened the next morning. What good is that?
2. searching lockers, backpacks, purses, and students- Its another invasion of privacy. If a student is required to open his or her locker, this can take time if there are several that need to do this, and it can disrupt both the teacher and the class. While using drug sniffing dogs can be beneficial, it also causes a disturbance. Students are more likely to pay attention to what's going on in the hall than they are on the material in class. You also can't search any of the students backpacks, purses, or bodies without them consenting to the search. If they refuse to consent to the search, you may not search them or use anything against them, unless they physically resist the search. You may not strip search students either, even if you think theyre hiding something under their clothes. Students are there to learn and get an education, not to be searched.
3. banning things- while some people might disagree with things or be allergic to certain things, you cannot ban them. All you can legally do is distribute a notice to parents ahead of time, warning of the allergen potential or the issues presented in the material, and if they sign the slip and dont allow their student to eat that certain food or have access to that material, you have to provide something else in its stead.
4. confiscating cell phones- while people realize youre trying to crack down on kids texting answers to their friends during a test and texting and making phone calls during class, you have to allow them to carry their cell phones on them and have them on silent or vibrate mode. Why? In case of emergency. If they cant get to a phone, leave the classroom, or push the button connected to the office, they need to be able to reach someone in case of an emergency. Almost three and a half years ago, you almost had a teacher die because she didnt have a special medical device with her that she needed after a stay in the hospital. Shed forgotten it at home. It took students almost 10-15 minutes to track someone down who was willing to call an ambulance for that teacher. The ambulance would have been there sooner and trying to track someone down who was willing to call for an ambulance for this teacher would have taken less time if students could call on their cell phones during an emergency at school. If reaching a parent is necessary, students need a way to quickly notify their parents of an emergency. Phone trees take too long, and not everyone receives or understands the message. What good is a cell phone turned off and stashed in a locker during an emergency? There are worse things going on in schools these days than cheating on tests or texting or making phone calls during class.
5. enforcing a slightly discriminatory dress code- while some clothes shouldnt be worn at school (too revealing, gang colors, etc.), you also need to respect the individuality of your students. Your dress code states that students cant wear t-shirts that have colors that'd distract students, sayings that might offend students, nudity, or things that promote beer or other such things. When I was a student at WHS, students got away with this and still do. You dont thing a shirt with the words, "I don;t give axx and pictures of a rat and an ass (the animal, not the body part) violates that policy? You also go after students for dressing appropriately. One emo student was forbidden from wearing a black t-shirt with a black bat and the words, "Im a black girl on it because the principal thought that was offensive. He didnt get that she was emo and that emos wear black. He gave that student an after-school detention for her shirt - Whats wrong with this picture?
6. not fixing the problems- you dont let your athletes drink alcohol, do drugs, or act in a manner that doesnt represent the school, their families, and/or themselves well. You dont let students come to school late without giving them the appropriate punishment for coming late a certain number of times. Why cant the same apply to the rest of the students who attend your school? You have students who feel that just because they dress a certain way, look a certain way, drive a certain type or brand of car, live on a certain street, or live in a certain town, theyre a prince or princess and are, therefore, are entitled to special treatment and can do what they want when and where ever they want. I witnessed this today in your parking lots. If this is how students are going to behave, maybe there should be behavior contracts since they clearly didnt get it that their behavior was rude and unacceptable the past 8 years they were in school prior to attending your school. Adopt a zero tolerance policy for certain behaviors. Bad behavior will only get you so far before you have to deal with the bad consequences. It's time students realized that theyre almost adults and that the real world doesn't tolerate their bad behavior. The real world doesn't even tolerate the bad behavior of celebrities. Its time for students to face reality and get the appropriate consequences for their bad behavior. If they dont get it at home, they should get it somewhere, so why not at school?
7. banning sites that may be useful for a class project- I realize there are dangers on the internet and that some websites may have content that isnt suitable for students. I also realize that students shouldnt be on MySpace or Facebook during class, but the internet can be a great tool. It has millions of websites on many subjects, many that students could use for a class project. Ban MySpace, Facebook, porn websites, and any other sites you deem unfit to see your students; eyes, but dont restrict anything that could be a great source for a class project. Also, get rid of that annoying buzzer that sounds every time a student tries to go to their MySpace, Facebook, or any other unauthorized website. Its really driving the students and teachers crazy;
| Township High School District #214 - SCHOOL INFORMATION: | ||
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