DISCIPiLNE

[LOst cause]

I can see why teachers want to leave for other districts when doc pughsley says discipline is good and it is not. he should come to coulwood and sit in on some classes. A drill instructor would have just a good a chance as a masters teacher. And if discipline is not an issue why is Derita Full.

[Unregistered]

As a former CMS employee I can attest to the fact that discipline is nonexistent in our Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. On one particular afternoon my life was threatened by a student who held a sharpened pencil up to my chest and said he would stab me if I ever asked him to correct one of his writing assignments again. He was obviously disturbed. The student was, of course, sent to the Principal's Office. Unfortunately, the student returned to class twenty minutes later with candy. There were several other instances when I, as a teacher, received absolutely no support from the administration due to other disciplinary problems, and I was ultimately told that perhaps I should explore employment opportunities in another field. Talk about adding insult to injury. It was a total slap in the face. I think about "my kids" often. Maybe I made a difference in their lives, maybe not. But I'm sure other teachers have gone through similar ordeals.

[Unregistered]

...I taught high school English in a neighboring county, and I experienced issues similar to those seen in CMS, most notably a student who was doing lines of cocaine on his desk during one of my classes. A fellow student reported him, and both ended up going to the office. The druggie was back the next day. The young lady who informed me of him was not, returning a couple days later. Apparently, she had to arrange a police escort between her car and the school building for about a month after this guy threatened her with his gang.

The excuse for his quick return, especially considering its legal implications? All the police knew him by sight and first name, so they figured it was just him being him. I barely made it through the rest of that school year without quitting, staying only because there are a lot of other students who seemed genuinely interested and/or in need of my presence.

I don't know what I can do to support this initiative, but I will do what I can, especially since I now work for a mass media outlet. I still love teaching. I just hate the lack of administrative support and, more notably, the lack of PARENTAL support in regard to the most problematic of students.

[TEACHERLEAVINGCMSNOW!!!]

As a teacher and coach in the system I have encountered so many great educators who truly care about students not only emotionally, but also academically. But in my experience, too many CMS teachers have lost the initial fire they had when they came into education. I believe the reason for this is because of the lack of support given to them by administrators. When I say lack of support, I am referring to not only ALL administrators reluctance to handle disruptive students, but also their inability to make COMMON SENSE decisions to help teachers and students attain high goals. For example, so many times teachers write up students for disrupting class because the student is either talking constantly or because of utter lack of respect, and the result is the student is placed back into the classroom after a "stern talking to" and/or the student is handed ANOTHER after school detention. After which the teacher is reprimanded by being told they need to find a way to "reach that child". After have several of these meetings with administrators many teachers feel that their hands are tied behind their back and eventually they go into survival mode. Survival mode is when teachers do the bare minimum (for example book work all the time) to appease the overbearing administration and to settle or manage the disruptive kids, but as a result the educator does not truly try to inspire students. In my opinion, CMS believes that since the system pays more then most counties it can DEMAND teachers handle student disruptions, the poor facilities, lack of materials and overcrowded classrooms. Why can we demand so much? Because we pay you more!!! Their philosophy, as a result of lack of solutions and/or reluctance to suspend students, is the teacher must handle all situations within their classrooms or they will be WRITTEN UP. So many times I have heard about outstanding teachers who truly want to help students be threatened with being written up or reprimanded for not handling disruptive students properly. In the end, CMS provides not enough resources (big enough classrooms), not enough suspensions for disruptive students and not enough personable administrators who are capable of making common sense decisions to ensure all student not only excel at taking tests but who can also build stronger communities.

[TEACHERLEAVINGCMSNOW!!!]

As a teacher and coach in the system I have encountered so many great educators who truly care about students not only emotionally, but also academically. But in my experience, too many CMS teachers have lost the initial fire they had when they came into education. I believe the reason for this is because of the lack of support given to them by administrators. When I say lack of support, I am referring to not only ALL administrators reluctance to handle disruptive students, but also their inability to make COMMON SENSE decisions to help teachers and students attain high goals. For example, so many times teachers write up students for disrupting class because the student is either talking constantly or because of utter lack of respect, and the result is the student is placed back into the classroom after a "stern talking to" and/or the student is handed ANOTHER after school detention. After which the teacher is reprimanded by being told they need to find a way to "reach that child". After have several of these meetings with administrators many teachers feel that their hands are tied behind their back and eventually they go into survival mode. Survival mode is when teachers do the bare minimum (for example book work all the time) to appease the overbearing administration and to settle or manage the disruptive kids, but as a result the educator does not truly try to inspire students. In my opinion, CMS believes that since the system pays more then most counties it can DEMAND teachers handle student disruptions, the poor facilities, lack of materials and overcrowded classrooms. Why can we demand so much? Because we pay you more!!! Their philosophy, as a result of lack of solutions and/or reluctance to suspend students, is the teacher must handle all situations within their classrooms or they will be WRITTEN UP. So many times I have heard about outstanding teachers who truly want to help students be threatened with being written up or reprimanded for not handling disruptive students properly. In the end, CMS provides not enough resources (big enough classrooms), not enough suspensions for disruptive students and not enough personable administrators who are capable of making common sense decisions to ensure all student not only excel at taking tests but who can also build stronger communities.

[Christine]

This article is in the news section. It's all ready buried with all the news happening with CMS this week.

2/9/05

The wayward lips of a Hopewell High School student led to a busted lip for a Hopewell teacher who found himself in the middle of a love spat that turned violent on Monday.

According to sources, Christian Danthony Andrews, 17, of Charlotte, and his twin sister, Kersyne Denea Andrews, stormed into a classroom to confront Christian's girlfriend, Christina Samuels, after hearing that Christina had been seen kissing another boy. The trio raised enough noise ...Read more here. (http://huntersvilleherald.com/articles/2005/02/10/news/local/local05.txt) :eek:

[Bob]

Discipline is non-existent in many of the CM school’s. I have a close relative who is a CMS High School teacher and she has shared horror stories about how she has been physically assaulted, sexually propositioned and reputedly verbally abused with little to no support from school administration. They even attempted to discipline her for not being able to control her classes until the story about of lack of administrative support surfaced on the local news, and then it was quickly dropped. I am a firm supporter of a zero tolerance policy in which assaults, verbal abusers and students who use disruption to send a clear message that they do not want to participate, should be permanently expelled. At a certain point a “damaged student” is beyond repair and will only interfere with others right to learn.

Bob

[doc]

I am a local doctor with many teachers as my patients. I too have heard many tales of assaults, vocal threats and intimidation against those who have been entrusted to teach our kids. It is absolutely time for this to stop!! The "comasion industry" in this system continualy champions the rights of the few who expoit the freedoms of the many, and excuses the terrible behavior that I hear of all too often. Additionally, I am outraged by the senseless busing of students halfway across the city to satisfy some rediculous social engineering policies. My wife and I are not yet parents, but rest assured, that we will not have our children attend a system that allows for this dangerous and inexcusable behavior to continue. Either they clean it up, or we move out!

[Christine]

Here's What It Takes
To get a violent student removed

BY TARA SERVATIUS

The school system's attempts to explain why a student who had committed a sex crime at school was allowed to return are growing more bizarre by the day. A confidential memo from Superintendent James Pughsley to the school board two weeks ago only added to the confusion.

Apparently, the police and prosecutors took the sexual assault that occurred in a North Mecklenburg High School bathroom in 2003 a lot more seriously than the school system did. They arrested an 18-year-old student in the case. After bargaining with prosecutors, he was convicted of felony kidnapping, and forced by law to register on North Carolina's sex offender registry, a list that helps authorities keep track of offenders who commit serious sex crimes. Read More... (http://www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com/2004-09-29/news_citizen.html)

[Christine]

After the discovery of a dozen handguns last fall on Charlotte-Mecklenburg School campuses, and numerous fights that erupted in overcrowded classrooms last year, district officials say they’re committed to reversing the tide of school violence in 2004. But according to several students, parents and teachers, and revealed through violent acts on CMS campuses, little has changed since the advent of the New Year.

Indeed, recent events paint a disturbing picture: A fourth grade student recently brought a pocketknife to Briarwood Elementary, resulting in several students reporting being cut. Link needs to be fixed. Read More ...
(http://charlotte.rhinotimes.com/archives/061004/story03.html)

[Christine]

Gun Tallies At CMS Cause For Concerns

By Allison Hart

Disturbing reports of guns on Charlotte-Mecklenburg school campuses, followed by more disturbing reports about erroneous figures coming from the superintendent’s office about the number of guns found on campuses this year, has forced the issue of school safety into the spotlight in recent weeks, leaving students, parents and teachers wondering if schools are becoming more dangerous places. Read More ... (http://charlotte.rhinotimes.com/archives/121803/story04.html)

[Hugs1495]

As a 30+ year employee of CMS, I have seen just about everything. If Judge Manning and the parents of CMS really want to know what can be done to improve our schools, they need to talk to the teachers in the "trenches". CMS acts without thinking - two points in question the current junior exit paper and high school pacing guides. If the current administration does what it says and transfers teachers against their wills, there will be a mass exodus from this system like people have never seen.

[cms20]

I agree the administration is clueless on what teacher's have to deal with on a daily basis. Why don't they have regular brainstorming meetings with teachers to figure out what needs to be done. Our school system seems to be woefully unimaginative when it comes to solving problems. Pughsley recently met with mayors about discipline. He is looking to the mayor's to find space to put disruptive kids during the school day. Of course, this could take a long time to find buildings in each area and staff them and make sure they are safe for kids. Why not set aside a class room or two at each school for unruly kids. If there are no extra classrooms, add trailers. We need to separate these students from the population. They should have to earn their way back to the general population. Have bag lunches sent in from the cafeteria for lunch. We have to start thinking outside the box to solve these problems. And teacher's are key to solving these problems. Listen to them. They know what works. On a similar note. Why can't North Meck High kids eat in a classroom instead of outside in the cold/rain. There must be some empty classrooms to use. Was I reading correctly in the paper this morning that we are installing artificial turf at three existing high schools. How do we have money for this and yet kids are eating outside in the cold. It doesn't sound like 'equity' to me. These astro- turf fields cost a half million apiece.

[Christine]

Rhino Times Year in Review 2003

Superintendent James Pughsley had to be physically restrained from hitting school board member Gauvreau during a closed session meeting. The incident occurred during a meeting in which Gauvreau was pressing for a complete investigation of possible misappropriation of CMS time and resources by senior staff members. Instead of actively investigating the Pughsley/Gauvreau incident and handing out any appropriate disciplinary measures, the school board turned a blind eye and carried on with business as usual. The decision outraged many teachers and county commissioners, who felt the superintendent was receiving special treatment not afforded to the staff he supervises.

“I believe if a teacher had done something like that, the teacher would have been summarily dismissed,” Charlotte Teachers Association President Judy Kidd said at the time. “There would not have been any anger management classes if a teacher had threatened a board member or if a teacher had threatened a principal. It would have been dismissal.”
Read More... (http://charlotte.rhinotimes.com/archives/123103/story01.html)
(http://charlotte.rhinotimes.com/archives/123103/story01.html)

[Publius]

You folks are all right. Discipline and CMS shouldn't be used in the same sentence. Between the total lack of discipline, the scripted lessons and the demands that we all be teaching the same thing at the same time it is a cross between a war zone and hollywood. This isn't teaching, half the time it is survival.

[Unregistered]

As a teacher just across the border in SC, we see the same discipline problems with lack of support from the administrators. Our principal is determined that we must instill desire to learn in all students. We have a new discipline plan, which I call the no discipline plan. It takes too long for students to receive office referrals. We have far less students receiving OSS. Our principal said this was necessary because our school report card grade that the state of SC issues considers student attendance. I think education will soon be in a crisis soon. I am leaving the profession for pediatric nursing. The lack of support goes from the GOVERNMENT in our capitals all the way down to school level administrators. I get the feeling that none of them have the slightest clue what is really going on in the classroom. It's all rediculous! Thanks

[Unregistered]

I was shocked as I read some of these accounts by CMS teachers. I live in Mecklenburg county but have worked for neighboring Union County Public Schools for 14 years (eleven as a teacher and three as a Central Office employee) I never once was threatened by a student, never felt unsafe and rarely felt that administrators were unsupportive of discipline in my classroom. The vast majority of my students learned, built relationships and enjoyed success in school (and scored highly on standardized tests for those who worship such things) On a bad day my students far outperformed CMS students on their best days.

I have seen first hand that public education can be done effectively and CMS students, parents and teachers are well justified in demanding something better or be given the chance to free themselves from the failed policies and practices of CMS and form their own autonomous school district.

My only fear is that as fast as Union County is growing we will find ourselves in a situation like CMS in the future where the system is just too large to effectively manage. Schools belong to the citizens and the neighborhoods that they serve not to the beurocrats who are driven more by politics than the desire to educate the youth of our community.

[MikeNof]

The CMS Administration is pathetic in it's response to this incident!

Here's What It Takes
To get a violent student removed

BY TARA SERVATIUS

The school system's attempts to explain why a student who had committed a sex crime at school was allowed to return are growing more bizarre by the day. A confidential memo from Superintendent James Pughsley to the school board two weeks ago only added to the confusion.

Apparently, the police and prosecutors took the sexual assault that occurred in a North Mecklenburg High School bathroom in 2003 a lot more seriously than the school system did. They arrested an 18-year-old student in the case. After bargaining with prosecutors, he was convicted of felony kidnapping, and forced by law to register on North Carolina's sex offender registry, a list that helps authorities keep track of offenders who commit serious sex crimes. Read More... (http://www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com/2004-09-29/news_citizen.html)

[Monkey can run cms better]

I am a teacher in CMS and I have only been in the district for one year and I am surprised at the NONsupport that is given in this counties. If you have a problem Administration will tell you that you have a class room management problem and recommend that you do something to get better at that. I had an administrator walk up to me and ask me to get work for a student who had missed over 10 days in a semester class so that she could pass. That I feel is giving the children the idea that they don’t have to go to class. Children walk out of class and no problem they are sent back after seeing the administrators. Children are late to class several days in a row and there is no punishment. The principles need to wake up and deal with these problems. I am tired of administration and am looking to get out of the district. I have even looked in to the business world. Teaching is also suppose to be a relationship between the student and teacher well CMS has taken that out. CMS has sent lesson plans for teachers to follow so that they don’t fall behind. Some class doesn’t get the material you may need to slow down and TEACH the kids but you can not do that because we have to stay on a schedule who cares if the kids learn it STAY ON SCHEDULE. CMS TAKES THE TEACHING OUT OF TEACHER. I believe a monkey can run the district beter.

[Unregistered]

If the person who wrote "AS a teacher" really IS a teacher, then our kids really ARE in trouble - the spelling and grammar are atrocious!

[Volatile American]

Greetings Char-Meck Parents concerned citizens, and teachers alike. Let's talk about disicipline in the schools...better yet, lack thereof. But before we get on a bandwagon with the preverbial lit torches and pitchforks, let's take a realistic look at the situation.

My spouse taught at Char-Meck for awhile and had many run ins with the good Doctor P. and his wife...who I might mention was a principal at the school my spouse was teaching at...conflict of interest?

Many teachers want disicipline in their classrooms, they want tougher rules, with a zero tolerance policy. My spouse was teaching at a Jr. High School, she had a student (s) that were beyond the simple term of 'misbehaving'. She was cursed at, threatened, lunged at...the list goes on. She was also stuck in a portable classroom quite a distance from the main building, should trouble have erupted or an emergency arised...it would not have been pretty.

Complaint after complaint, office referral after office referral...still nothing done. My spouse would refer the offending little heathens to the office and get a "F@ck You" in return. Their consequence? To be escorted back to her class by security....that's it.

Parent conferences? Forget about it. The parents of SOME of these kids could give two shakes about them or their behavior..or they blame the teacher. Yeah right, like the teacher made them say "F@ck You".

Administrative help....keep dreaming....let me show you below what that entails:
1. report to principal, principal reports that they will work on the problem students
2. nothing done
3. More reports, conferences, and trips to the office
4. Nothing done
5. Go over principals head Result- blame shifting
6. More reports nothing done students getting worse
7. More blame shifting, stalling, and assorted garbage from admin
8. Repeat 1-7.

That sums it up folks, my spouse never got any help, never got a solution, and admin could have cared less that these kids were running like heathens and nothing can be done about it. Teachers cannot yell, lay hands on, or anything else to a surely disicipline problem...so what makes the problem fixable...whats the solution? There's not one that I can see. First time you yell at one of these trouble makers the parents holler lawsuit, convinced that their little gang member angel could NEVER have done that...or was provoked.

The Pughsley administration has done for Char-Meck schools what Clinton did for the Oval Office in my OPINON. Soiled and tainted and leaving a mess for others to clean up.

You want better disicipline in your schools? Then make all policies ZERO TOLERANCE policies. Tough strict and thats the way it is. But don't just fault the students...fault the PARENTS of these problematic youths. don't blame teachers for having their hands tied by administration..or lack thereof...push for tougher laws to make PARENTS responsible for their kids and their kids actions.

School is not a baby-sitting service or drop off point for your problem children. It is a place for education and learning. If you can't play nice...then you need to go home. Until then..BRAVO to ALL the teachers leaving Char-Meck....you don't need the grief that has been placed upon you, nor is it your fault. I know you did not go to school to become an educatior to be cursed at and treated like garbage.

Signing off,

VolatileAmerican

[Unregistered]

I agree with the analogy of a "babysitting service". Just so parents are aware, all that is required to home school is a high school education. So, for any parents who disagree with the consequence their child receives or how the teacher teaches, teach your child for a day or two and see how long you remain with your child in an enclosed setting. I understand administrators are also tied by what is set forth in rights and responsibility handbooks, but again, common sense should prevail! If a child is not going to work in the classroom then removing them from the classroom setting will not hinder their overall performance.

[Publius]

Good Grief, maybe the person was upset, I don't know. What I do know is that the poster is correct. Discipline is a problem and it is getting worse everyday...vandalism, threats of violence and actual violence on the upswing. The folks downtown do a great job of sanitizing it and making it look like no big deal but if I was in the army they'd have to pay me combat pay. She's also right that the folks downtown want Stepford teachers....everyone doing the same thing, at the same time, in essentially the same way.

[Unregistered]

It absolutely imperative to address the problems of overcrowded classrooms and discipline. If these two issues are NOT addressed. without a doubt, the public school system in this country will fail. Talk about money? Any teacher worth his or her salt would be happy to give up a pay increase if it would mean that classrooms would have fewer students and discipline were something they had more control over. I know for a fact that the majority of teachers feel this way. Also the majority of students want to learn and are severely handicapped by the minority (less than ten percent) of students in the classroom who make teaching such an uphill climb. We must remember our children's education is a right that a few do not have the right to jepardize this by their antisocial behavior.

Thank God that parents have finally taken a stand. I say put the question to the teachers. More money or smaller class size and dicipline problems addressed? I am completely and positively convinced that if it had to be a choice, they would choose the latter. Parents of Charlotte...go for it! I know you have the support of the many careing teachers who are responsible for your child's education! You sure have mine.

Sincerely,

Linda Hamilton

[Kenning215]

I am also a former CMS teacher and I have been waiting for a website such as this so that we can be heard. Unfortunately, it will not be heard by those that should listen. Upon entering CMS, I was excited to begin my profession as a teacher. That excitement soon turned to frustration. I realized that 95% of my day was dedicated toward disciplining a select few and not doing what I had grown to love; TEACH. I received absolutely no support from administration and none from the parents who needed to a part of the solution. I had grown to love my class and so desperately wanted to just teach them. But when your entire day is spent filling out paperwork to get through the redtape that you find yourself entangled in, it becomes difficult to do just that. I can't say for sure if I will return to the education field. I can say, that if I do, it will not be within CMS.

[Unregistered]

I was a drama teacher for CMS. I had horrible problems with discipline. I went to the administration and they offered almost no help. Parents didnt support the teachers either. The kids were put into my class being unprepared for them. The classes were set up to be a continual knowledge based curriculum. I had students in drama 3 that hadnt had drama 1 or 2. I also had problems with the administration not holding students in accountability. The students were not made to do home work, class assignments and class projects. I was also not allowed to fail thew students for not doing this. I was made to change grades. So students didnt have to do anything other than show up for class and they can get a passing grade. This whole "No child left behind" is just a babysitting curriculum. When students were sent to the principal's office most were met with nothing and they were very seldom punished. I even had one student who disassembled a pair of scissors and then threw them at another student and when sent to the office he was kicked out of school for a day, while a young l;ady got a gag gift for a student gift exchange that had a little plastic water gun in it and she was suspended for 2 weeks. There is no consistency in the discipline. I tried several approaches and nothing seemed to work. I had a class set of books.... which was supposed to be a total of thirty and had only 13. You try teaching 30 students with only 13 books. When I asked for more they said they couldnt get them for me. I also asked for other types of help and got none. Somethings they did promise me I didnt get as well. I even had one class with 32 students and not enough desks... I just had to hope someone would be absent so everyone would be able to sit down. So between no discipline, inadequately supplied rooms and no support from administration, I left the district so my child might have a better chance at an education.

[VolatileAmerican]

No Child Left Behind.....???

How about "No Teacher Left Behind"?

or

How about "No child left behind that WANTS to learn"?

[tcgb]

We agree with you that CMS needs to be accountable. It is about time that this PC and Bureaucratic Non-sense be gone from CMS, County and City Government. Well, it's our turn now and something is goanna change for the sake of our generations.

Our present CMS Leadership sees our kids as a business. They don't know or want to solve the problems. Cause, CMS would have to look at what their actions have caused!

Our CMS Schools Brought Following: :serenade:

Our Children, Our Parents, Our Teachers and CMS Leadership-

The grades, testing went down and the kids get high. Free love, gay life style, no absolutes, abortion on demand that brought VD and Aids with no morality allowed. Gangs running rapid and violent crime on the rise. Today, no one knows right from wrong and their is blood on people's hands. CMS you had your turn at bat no more of your non-sense. Now stand back and see the truth come out. Watch CMS and our Government Leaders show their colors by passing the buck. Supt. James L. Pughsley and staff over two weeks ago rejected a textbook for new science book for elementary students. Interesting that committee's recommendation was toss away. The committee was overruled for a $12 million book adoption was approved without a board vote?

It went to a company represented by former Board Chairman, Arthur Griffin.
Supt. James L. Pughsley and CMS will play their games but they will have to listen to Judge Manning. The Community's need to speak out with boldness and conviction, we proclaim!

[Publius]

There was another fight today at North. But that must be a mistake - The Superintendent and Joe White say there are any real problems. Fortunately nothing else happened because the entire security force was tied up long enough that no one else could get assistance. Its good to kow that there are not any "real" problems. :(

[Unregistered]

Good Grief, maybe the person was upset, I don't know. What I do know is that the poster is correct. Discipline is a problem and it is getting worse everyday...vandalism, threats of violence and actual violence on the upswing. The folks downtown do a great job of sanitizing it and making it look like no big deal but if I was in the army they'd have to pay me combat pay. She's also right that the folks downtown want Stepford teachers....everyone doing the same thing, at the same time, in essentially the same way.

I personally think the lack of flexibility in teaching and the roteness of much of the current curriuculum has a lot to do with the poor discipline in our schools. Teachers need the freedom to be creative in reaching their students.

[Unregistered]

In my opinion, the bottom line is that too many people consider education a "right" instead of a "privilege." I worked for CMS several years ago and my current occupation requires me to frequent CMS high schools each spring. The level of disrespect I receive with each high school visit is mind boggling. Here I am, trying to empower and make a better life for these kids, only to be constantly berated by a few bad apples. I know this is far greater than merely a "CMS problem." However, enough is enough. It's about time for the administration to put up or shut up. Where is Joe Clark when you need him?

[Unregistered]

There was another fight today at North. But that must be a mistake - The Superintendent and Joe White say there are any real problems. Fortunately nothing else happened because the entire security force was tied up long enough that no one else could get assistance. Its good to kow that there are not any "real" problems. :(




I thought it was interesting to see who tried to break up the fight.....teachers, including our athletic director, who got minor injuries while in the process. Another teacher was breaking up the fight while a kid jumped on top of him. Glad to see security was on their toes and ready to take action.

[Publius]

I don't disagree about the curriculum and it being fact and memory driven. However, that doesn't justify violence, vandalism and overall rotten conduct. Sometimes teachers have to resort to older methods because rotten conduct doesn't permit doesn't support group or cooperative activities. I'm open to ideas to try new stuff, what I'm not open to is total disrespect and lunacy in my room.

[Publius]

I thought it was interesting to see who tried to break up the fight.....teachers, including our athletic director, who got minor injuries while in the process. Another teacher was breaking up the fight while a kid jumped on top of him. Glad to see security was on their toes and ready to take action.

That does not surprise me. It only goes to support what I've already said.

[Carolinaroundup]

In March 2002, a hand gun was taken from an individual on the campus of E.E. Waddell High School by the principal (Dr. Faulkner). The gun was turned over to CMS school security. The following Monday, CMS returned the gun to the perpetrator!

No charges filed and principal was told to drop the issue by central administration.

[Unregistered]

As a charlotte newcomer and blue state defector, i must say that i am shocked at the state of CMS. Since my only child was still in utero when we decided to move here, the educational system was not an issue. From what i have read and heard, i have already started researching home-schooling for my 3 month old - much to the chagrin of my wife.

CMS did not get bad overnight. So when i see that 50% of people in this county voted for John Kerry (Democratic), I see many of you getting what you deserve. CMS is the fruit of all you liberals. If i was running a CMS complaint forum, the first thing i would do is throw out anyone who votes democratic or lets their spouse do so. If someone can't so much as vote against the root causes (the ACLU, unions, and social engineers) of the CMS debacle, then they aren't doing their "homework" and are a substantial part of the problem themselves!!!!!!!!

This reminds me of my liberal aunt in nyc who complains that the janitors make 150k a year in her school, but won't even move a desk for a 46k a year teacher. Auntie doesn't realize that each november she votes for the status quo.

Only non-liberals have a legitmate right to complain about CMS.

[NMTeacher]

In response to the fight that took place to North Meck this week, I have to say that the response of security was ridiculous. Students involved in the fight still have not been caught, but if there was security there the fight may never have happened. There aren't enough security associates at our school for the number of students we have.
We have gang members who walk the halls wearing gang colors all day. I would think that should get them sent home, but apparently it's a right to wear what you want, as long as you don't show any skin. Kids curse going down the halls, they run over teachers, knock teachers down (including one who was pregnant earlier this year) and run amuck with no consequences. We have food fights almost daily and the administrators' response has been to take 5 minutes away from lunch. Never mind that the rest of the students tell them who is responsible. As a young woman with an advanced science degree, I'm considering going into the medical profession. At least I could put my knowledge to some good use.

[resume ready]

No one has gotten close to the real issue of discipline problems within the schools. The discipline issues that have drawn attention as of late-students with records & chronic suspensions-are the tip of the iceberg. The real problem requires digging deeper, into the "don't ask-don't tell" of CMS. Teachers who need their jobs are afraid to talk about these issues-violent assaults that have gone unreported, teachers suffering from barrages of profanity and threats, and even simple insubordination that is repeated daily. They quietly leave the system. They leave for other counties, they leave for other careers, and sometimes, they leave because of doctor's orders. As I attended a meeting of the deconsolidation of CMS I wondered how the parents would feel if I got up and began assaulting them verbally while they were trapped, shoulder to shoulder in the tiny town hall. This year I have had 4 students removed for this offense. None have been suspended. All have been returned to the classroom. All have repeated the offense. Removed again. No consequences. But the administrator can boast of a minor number of suspensions at our school. Would you work under those circumstances?

[Unregistered]

As a charlotte newcomer and blue state defector, i must say that i am shocked at the state of CMS. Since my only child was still in utero when we decided to move here, the educational system was not an issue. From what i have read and heard, i have already started researching home-schooling for my 3 month old - much to the chagrin of my wife.

CMS did not get bad overnight. So when i see that 50% of people in this county voted for John Kerry (Democratic), I see many of you getting what you deserve. CMS is the fruit of all you liberals. If i was running a CMS complaint forum, the first thing i would do is throw out anyone who votes democratic or lets their spouse do so. If someone can't so much as vote against the root causes (the ACLU, unions, and social engineers) of the CMS debacle, then they aren't doing their "homework" and are a substantial part of the problem themselves!!!!!!!!

This reminds me of my liberal aunt in nyc who complains that the janitors make 150k a year in her school, but won't even move a desk for a 46k a year teacher. Auntie doesn't realize that each november she votes for the status quo.

Only non-liberals have a legitmate right to complain about CMS.


The above statement is plain ridiculous. Opinions about Republican and Democratic views have no place here... it's the exact reason that people start fighting in the first place. And if you really want to get to the root causes, let's discuss GW's No Child Left Behind (even if they sell drugs, threaten teachers, rape students in bathrooms, and harass/abuse/assault anyone who gets in their path). I'm tired of people going into politics. The fact of the matter is this: It is what it is! How do we fix it? Scrap it. Start over. Get rid of all of the top staffers. Bring in people from other states who have excellent education systems (NY is a great one!), ditch the No Child Left Behind, and let's start making kids accountable, instead of teachers being accountable for everything except feeding kids their lunch (even though my students ask me for lunch money every day- and they're in HS).

But PLEASE...quit with the politics. I'm sick of it. You like George W. so much, move to Texas, otherwise, come up with something constructive to say.

[Unregistered]

"opinions about Republican and Democratic views have no place here..."

hah!

if you think that the cartel of the ACLU, Unions, and social engineering liberals destroying the public educational system is merely an opinion, then you prove my point. it is an undeniable fact.

"it's the exact reason that people start fighting in the first place..."

i am not even going to address that non sequitur.

"And if you really want to get to the root causes, let's discuss GW's No Child Left Behind....'

For your information, that was a bipartisan bill, authored by none other than ultra-liberal Ted Kennedy. And if you think that public education wasn't spiraling downward in 2001 already, then i have a bridge in brooklyn to sell you.

You are obviously a liberal who was chafed by my post. that was my intention. So while you continue to elect politicians beholden to the special interests that handcuff public education, i reiterate my point. You deserve to be dissatisfied with the schools.

[Christine]

This is a non-partisan forum. Our goal is to find the best way to educate the children in our community. Opposing viewpoints are expected, we encourage discussion. The blame game is not constructive and not appreciated.

Everyone cares about educating our kids. Liberal or Conservative, why fight each other instead of the problem? Each side is doing what they think is best for the kids.

To continue this discussion, please start a new thread. It is off-topic in this one.

[Unregistered]

Non-partisan, blame game, and unconstructive?????

So Concerned Parent is also a voting democrat who wants to abdicate any responsibility for the public school morass.

The public school system is so fundamentally flawed and poorly managed that it needs to be scrapped. All of the "constructive" ideas in this forum amount to mere tinkering within a sinking ship. Yeah, giving the teachers more authority to dicipline/suspend/expel students is good idea, but tell me, how does that alleviate the fiscal problems of the school system?

How about a private school voucher system? That would save the county $$$ on a per pupil basis. How about letting principals fire bad teachers? Why can't principals work within a budget and pay each teacher what they merit? The unions would never allow this, but it would definitely attract more young people into the teaching profession. What about not using unionized contractors to sweep the floors or paint walls? All of this drives up costs to the ridiculous levels where they reside. Less waste, and maybe teachers could get paid more.

Oh, wait, all of these "constructive" ideas are free-market based, generally Republican, and total anathema to liberals.

I forgot, looking out for teachers' best interests is what the union is for. So teachers assess your pay and working conditions and then ask yourselves if the union is really helping you. Teachers are just $500 per year annuities from the unions to democratic politicians.

Only complicit and clueless liberals think that this is a non-partisan issue.

[admin]

So Concerned Parent is also a voting democrat who wants to abdicate any responsibility for the public school morass.

Only complicit and clueless liberals think that this is a non-partisan issue.It's easy posting as an Anonymous Coward isn't it? Either register on the site or stop the namecalling. It isn't productive. Try expanding on the ideas you have in a non-confrontational manner. Thank You.

P.S. You know nothing about Concerned Parent or myself and it shows.

[Teacher]

Actually, yes, this is a non-partisan issue. Do you really think that our children are better served this way? Concerned Parent is 100% right - and it is by far the more responsible route to fight the actual problems than take the easy way and blame political ideology.

The suggestions you list are not even political in nature, and some are inaccurate. I am positive that most principals, whether they are liberal, conservative, libertarian, etc. are very willing to fire teachers if needed and work within budgets. This has nothing to do with teachers' unions - even the conservative ones. This is not a politically partisan issue.

There are students reading these boards - many of their comments are insightful and I hope more will post. They deserve better than this from the adults.

[Unregistered]

I have to agree with Teacher above. By the way liberal, just to set the record straight, there are no teacher's unions in this state. In North Carolina folks on the public payroll can't unionize. There are indeed teacher's unions but not in North Carolina. Thus the tirade about unions is not correct. And, for the record, I'm Republican and very conservative.

[Publius]

North Carolina is a non-union state. We have teachers organizations that lobby in the General Assembly but no unions. These organizations provide none of the collective bargaining that unions give their members. Our salaries are set by state law and some local Boards pay an additional supplement. Forty hours a week or sixty hours a week, the pay is the same. Teaching contracts are pretty standard all over the state and there is no collective bargaining and no union stewards and the like that you somehow think exist. You will make your points much more effectively using accurate facts rather than bluster.

There are problems in the system here that need to be fixed. Personally, I think that CMS has become unresponsive to the needs of the people that it is supposed to serve. If there are "politics" involved they are at the Central Office and Board level and focus on purely local issues and are not some ominious "plot" are you seem to suggest. Perhaps through forums like this and other avenues that are being used to voice complaints some of these problems will be resolved. As with the poster above, I also am a conservative republican and I see no need to play should name calling games.

[Christine]

At the National Governors Association's High School Summit today, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings called improving the quality of high school education in America "an urgent challenge" and "a national priority" and promoted President Bush's High School Initiative to raise achievement levels.

"Improving the quality of high school education is an urgent challenge that can only be solved by working together, in a bipartisan fashion," Spellings told the governors gathered in Washington to discuss the state of high school education throughout the country.

"Getting every child to graduate high school with a meaningful diploma in their hands is one of the biggest challenges our country faces. Today only 68 out of 100 entering ninth-graders will graduate from high school on schedule. Fewer than 20 will graduate on time from college. Meanwhile, 80 percent of the fastest-growing jobs will require some post-secondary education," Spellings said.


Appointed by Bush, I don't think Ms. Spelling is a liberal.

The Department of Education, Promoting education for all Americans


http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/02/02272005.html

[Scoop]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – All Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools built in 2000 or later have reflective windows in place so parents can observe their students at work.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/search/charlotte+mecklenburg+schools/SIG=12dbcir2i/*http%3A//www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=88070

[Unregistered]

I have a very good friend who teaches at an elementary school near the tank farms (PC). She has been a teacher for many years and always loved teaching and her students got good grades and she always got good ratings. She has been at this school for a short time and is talking about getting out of teaching all together because she does not like doing it now. I have been appalled about some of the things I have heard. The turnover rate at this school is amazing, with many teachers leaving early in the year and some leaving before they even start. The principal is a tyrant and keeps the teachers on edge at all times and the management style has caused teachers to be pitted against one another; thus destroying teamwork and comradery. The principal has gotten in front of PTO and accused the treasurer of not paying bills and asked for a replacement without consulting the person; only to find out the bills had been paid. The teachers are not allowed to use the textbooks for teaching; they are not even given to the children. The teachers do not get any free time during the day; using their time allotted for lunch for a mandatory daily planning session. My friend and her fellow teachers have sent students to the office for discipline problems they witnesses, only to have the child return to class and administration personnel tell the teacher they believe the child when they indicate they did not do what they were accused of. My friend graduated from a major university and has had the freedom to apply her education to determine what and how to teach children at other schools, but has to teach by the same strict, narrow guidance established by the principal as dictated to all teachers. No teacher at this school can stand out because they are forced to be clones of each other. Money budgeted for additional teachers to reduce class size was instead used for tutors. Teachers are belittled in front of other teachers and students. For example, a member of the school administration came to a teachers room and called her to the door to measure the length of her dress with a yardstick while her students looked on and laughed; she soon resigned. The administration gets on the intercom and rants to teachers about too much cleavage. These examples are just a few of the many. My friend comes home crying now and hates to go to work. This school has smothered the fire my friend had for teaching; if not destroyed it. The teachers need to be saved from this system, not just the children.

[Unregistered]

Thank you, Unregistered Guest. It's nice to see someone from outside the profession back us up.

[Unregistered]

How true...too many administrators, not enough teachers, teacher has no authority, no backing, adm, are afraid of being sued, so teacher takes the brunt. That’s why I quit.

Wouldn’t take it again for $75,000 a year.

[Unregistered]

I may be a liberal. Ok. Fine.

No Child Left Behind was the brain child of GWB, that he endorses and pets to this day. Who is going to step up and tell him it doesn't work? Who is going to step up and tell him that none of his white, upper-class, Christian, closed-mindedness is going to do anyone in this country any good? You want to talk politics, Sir (as I assume you are), then I advise you to talk to a group of like-minded people who care about the fact that you are a blue-state defector. Congratulations. Why do discussions about schools always start blaming the "clueless liberals?" The same people that believe abstinence only education is the best idea ever (I'm sure it's helping, I know of 15 girls who are currently pregnant right now. Right on, Conservative Right Wings!). The same people that believe that it is the teacher's fault they can't control their classrooms. The same people that believe teacher's are already paid too much and so the idea of paying them more is practically unheard of.

The core of the issue of discipline is the same for all people. We want kids to behave, and there are die-hard Dems out there who would love to see some of the old rulers on knuckles come back. The truth is, the only people that are to blame when it comes to the discipline problem is the parents. Ask your child's teacher how many times they call parents and hear "Well, so and so is YOUR problem while they are at school, YOU deal with them." Yeah, thanks, you smarmy git, why don't I just tell little Johnny that he's free to run around my classroom stabbing people with pencils because if the PARENTS won't do anything, the Admin. sure as heck won't either!

<sarcasm> But of course... those clueless liberals, those are the fish to fry. </end sarcasm.>

[cms20]

You must have your head in the sand (or possibly expensive astro-turf)
if you haven't noticed that the board is made up of mostly Democrats who are willing to forsake the majority of kids who want to learn, for the few who won't and may never. Resources have been gushing into the inner city schools. Look at the CMS maps of construction done and planned for the last several years. The map is dotted with sites within the inner city of new schools and renovations. There are only a handful of dots in the north and south. I am not saying that we shouldn't upgrade the inner city. I'm saying there needs to be a balance, with priorities set. If you have a school that is 1000 students over capacity, I would think that would be of the highest priority. So far it hasn't been. In fact, if you watch any school board meeting, it doesn't usually even come up, except when Larry brings it up.
He then gets snickered at and they move on to more important topics, like National Library Card month. You get my drift. It's all show, no substance. No brainstorming, no solutions. No honest discussion or even acknowledging that any of these problems exist. It's disheartening to say the least.


Look at the 2005/2006 Student Assignment Guide. They used to report a schools capacity by what it was built to hold. They no longer do that. A schools capacity is now calculated as if mobiles are part of the building. Why??
Because if they did, it would show how grossly overpopulated the northern schools are. They even used old numbers of students enrolled and not the current numbers which they had. Why doesn't anyone call them on this?

You are right about one thing. George W.s good intentions with NCLB may be having an undesired effect. It gives school boards the excuse to divert resources that would fairly go to other kids and funnel them to kids who may never have an interest in picking up a book.

[Mom4Change]

I understand that the student recently arrested for carrying around a gun in his bookbag at West Meck was formerly a student at East Meck. Does anyone know why he transferred from East Meck? I have a real good idea.

I thought there was "zero tolerance" for carrying guns and weapons in school. To me that means if you're caught with a gun in school, you get no more chances! Oh, I forgot, that means you can't go to that school anymore, but you can go to any other school and carry a gun. Let's see, how many high schools do we have? That sounds like a lot of chances! :wacko:

[Unregistered]

Again, thank NCLB for that. CMS officials have used it to their advantage in order to not face discipline problems becuase "every child has a right to an education". That may be true but everyone has become so worried about the bottom 5-10 percent (I'm speaking in discipline terms not financial) that is allowing the 80 percent in the middle to fall behind! Remove the 2-3 completely unruly students from a classroom so the other 27 can learn!!!!

Also, I don't think enough is being said about parent involvement on this forum. In my experience, the parents I always heard from or saw at "Open House" were never the parents of the serious discipline problems. This will not surprise anyone educators I'm sure. These are minors we are talking about. You had them...You should raise them!

[Publius]

I agree that NCLB is a turkey - it was a turkey before it was passed and it will always be a waste. Yes, I know it was GWB's brain f**t but it was the U.S. Congress that passed the legislation, so lets put the blame were it belongs in both the legislative and executive branches. The President can ask for, suggest and beg for laws...he can sign legislation but that is as far as it goes. He wanted it and Congress gave it to him. I thought at the time it was silly. I'm republican and yes, someone did step up and tell him that it was not a good idea. I wrote him and I wrote my legislators telling them what I thought...didn't do any good but I wrote. One wonders how many others did? Of course, North Carolina doesn't have to play NCLB if it doesn't want to. Education is a reserved power, NC along with other states is simply allowing Washington to dictate educational policy in return for federal dollars. The interesting thing is that if I ran the same scam on you the cops and courts would put me in jail....the framers are spinning in their graves.

[Unregistered]

I agree that NCLB is a turkey - it was a turkey before it was passed and it will always be a waste.

That is really my point. I realize that politics becomes a part of everything in this country, especially with the highly charged sides of each political party, but constantly blaming liberals or conservatives for problems won't get us anywhere but frustrated.

What can we, as forum members, do to help change this a bit? The only reason we end up arguing over politics is because there's nothing left to say on a lot of things and we end up rehashing old sores and opening up some closed wounds... Is everyone here a teacher? A parent? Student? What kind of a mix do we have? And how can we work from this forum to improve the situation.

We have to have some kind of mini-option. Even if it's discovering that we can erect a shock therapy room for discipline (I second that motion..j/k) then we need to do it to make things better

[Dave Pinard]

We have to have some kind of mini-option. Even if it's discovering that we can erect a shock therapy room for discipline (I second that motion..j/k) then we need to do it to make things betterShock therapy sounds good! :D Not sure about the legality or ramifications, but..., why don't we start a "thug" registry here that lists troublemakers, their offenses and maybe even a picture so that we can compare notes and hopefully be proactive if/when a student is shuffled between schools? We could link in police records etc.. What do you think?

[Starbucks418]

Oh, that is truly an excellent idea. My only concern- is that opening something up for legal ramifications? I can see some parents saying 'That's not fair! My child has turned over a new leaf!' ((I am being a SERIOUS devil's advocate here...lol)) Bing, bang CMS has a lawsuit on its hands (again) and teachers are losing their jobs (oooh, ooh! pick me! pick me!)

Maybe it's something to look into? :cool:

[Dave Pinard]

I'll gladly organize and post them here. Shouldn't be an issue as long as all of the information is publicly available (police reports, etc). The only concern I would have is how to get the data to me (and how do I verify) to make sure they are legit (and of course not getting any teachers/students in trouble). Ideas? Anyone have a nominee for our first thug? Maybe if we focus on the really bad ones (ones with police records)?

[Unregistered]

So it would only be students who have been arrested or charged with something outside of school???

[Publius]

Sorry if I came off as playing the liberal/conservative game, that was not the intent. The intent was to indicate agreement with the fact that NCLB was in fact a bad idea and folks on both sides of the fence felt the same way.

As for what we can do? Unfortunately part of that answer comes down to politics. We need exercise our displeasure with local, state and federal representatives at the ballot box. We can stay in touch with those representative so that they know how we feel. Far too many bills are passed in our Congress that are well intentioned but not practical. Perhaps Congress would be more responsive and stop using federal dollars to influence areas of state government that the Constitution denies them. Local politicians are the same. They need to be shown that the voters are their bosses and that if their work is unsatisfactory they will get fired. It is a crying shame that the North Carolina Constitution doesn't allow for recall petitions.

I agree that something like a "registry" would be a good idea. The musical school system that CMS sponsors allows students to keep ahead of their discipline record. Even though they are being sort of proactive on the recent shotgun found in a CMS High School (a 365 day expulsion) they've not done so in the past and I suspect this was driven by the negative press that they've gotten because of the weak discipline follow-up. Hopefully the courts will try the gent as an adult and throw the proverbial book at him and begin to send a message to the thugs in our schools.

[Dave Pinard]

So it would only be students who have been arrested or charged with something outside of school???I would (and I really want to hear what you guys think) focus on kids who are disrupting the classroom repeatedly. I am less concerned with what they do outside of school, although I'll bet the two run parallel. I was focusing on incidents that were likely to have public data available so it would be factual not subjective.

I am open to ALL ideas and comments, including "this is a terrible idea".

[Starbucks418]

Well, I'd say a thread should be in order that you keep up, Dave. That way, the people who submit would be able to maintain some sort of anonymity. I know that I'd be concerned, because I am a teacher, that the parent would whip through here, read their child's name and go 'OHH OHH..You want to shock my child to make them behave!!! I'm telling!' (Such is the maturity of some of parents... :D )

I'm all for this idea. And trust me, I have a list of about five kids that I could give you NOW. lol

[Dave Pinard]

In order to keep anonymity,please either Private message me, or send an email to webmaster@savecms.com OR webmaster@dumpcms.com for those offended with saving the system :cool:. Leave me either
a.) a way to contact you so I can verify the information
OR
b.) links to public data that verifies the claim

I will start a new forum to track these once I have enough to post.

Thanks...

[Staff]

In just the past month there were at least 7 incidents involving guns, knives, or threats. Decided that there is plenty here to start a thread all ready. Public Information on Offenders in Mecklenburg County. (http://www.savecms.com/showthread.php?p=1609#post1609)

[Unregistered]

We as parents need to step up. I see where everyone is upset with security, teachers and administration. The one true fact is these are our kids. We are as much of the problem as they are. What I mean is we feel our children are going to school and are doing and acting as we have taught them. I read about weapons, smoking in the bathrooms and behind the buildings. I looked at the rights and responsibilities handbook again it does cover alot of materials. Our children do not have rights of privacy especially when it comes to home. How many of us check our kids bookbags on a random basis to see what they are taking to school. How many of us check there cars on a time to time basis to see what they have in them. Have we searched their stuff lately. I found some old news papers this weekend while cleaning up. I found one from back when Columbine occured to share with my children when they got a little older. I looked at those papers and read the articles again. There was one thing that jumped out at me. It is hard to admit as a parent but we want to believe so much our children would'nt do these things. But remember the parents of the kids that committed the incident at columbine could have maybe stopped it if they would have checked or searched their rooms they had the plans they had the materials they used in their rooms. I do think there needs to more consistant discipline in the school when the kids are caught. However to put all the blame on the school system is unfair. They are our children taking items to schools that are not allowed whether we agree with all the items or not. Our kids Do Not Have The Right To Privacy As Long As They Are Under Our Roof, and We Are Financially Responsible, We are Morally Responsible. Maybe then the schools would be safer. The Security Officers can only do so much I have read how unfair everyone thinks the searches they do are but then I hear all this about the weapons and smoking going on. What do we want them to do. search every child but my child. Discipline every child but my child. I Think Not! I think we ourselves need to hold our children accountable and ourselves as parents accountable I belive if we as parents do this the schools can and will be safer, which will ease the minds of the kids and the less worrying the more learning. I do not agree with everything that CMS does but we can not lay this at their feet if we as parents dont take ownership of our own children. I was in one of the schools the other day and told my children I could not believe how the kids were acting. My children know my expectations of them but you can believe I will be making a surprise visit every so often and see if they are acting anything like what I saw at the school I visited. I cannot say for sure after the visit I had because there were so many kids acting like they had no sense that the parents of those kids probably would'nt believe they were acting that way either. We want to change things in the schools I know Safety is one area we as parents can really have an effect on just By checking our kids Rooms, Bookbags, and Cars once or twice a week how long will it take to check. We might find out things about our children we never would have suspected. Just like the parents of columbine but before a serious incident occurs. If you read these posts the kids do not have respect for the security that try to keep them safe. How do they feel about police or authority in general? I Challenge Every Parent To Help Make Schools Safer For Our Children By Stepping UP and Being a Parent As We Should. It may not be popular but neither is being a true parent.

[Starbucks418]

All I have to say is this:

Thank you.

I'm SO shocked every day the way some of my students act. It gets to the point that you expect them to act a certain way, and if they don't, you wonder if they're feeling all right. The days all of my kids behave, those scare me... cause it's like the calm before the storm.

More parents should have the same feelings you do. Unfortunately, you're one of the few responsible parents in the system. The ones who really need to hear what you just said are the ones who wouldn't listen if they heard it. I have serious problems with the parents that says 'MY child would NEVER do that!' without taking into consideration that a.) they aren't in school every day with them and b.) as an adult, the chances that I'm going to make up something about their child is slim to none.

Good for you. Your kids will make it through CMS because you are looking out for them, and others as well. Once again, thanks.

[TheMan]

During the time I spent at the Phillip O. Berry of Technology I saw a steady decline in the behavior of the student population to the point where nothing shocked me.
Weak and fearful leadership from the top down (Several members of the School Board including Joe White, Vilma Leake, and George Dunlap, Superintendent James Pughsley, Principal David Baldaia, Assistant Principal Deborah Ramsey) created a vaccuum that was filled by a substitution of leadership from other sources.
When the TEACHERS were "shackled", that leadership came from rogue parents and rogue students.
In the meantime I am still out on medical leave for depression/anxiety and high blood pressure.
I grew tired of being coerced into dealing with these "terrorists", and submitted my 30 day notice last week.
Personally, I was repeatededly threatened and finally took one student into court for an assault that occurred in December 2003. This student plead guilty to assault on a government official and disorderly conduct in the school. This same "thug" was allowed to return this past fall.
Abdication of authority from the parent(s) also creates a void that is filled by immature, irresponsible behavior from the student.
I am thankful for the parent who submitted their input to this thread.
I am thankful that you are doing your part to raise your children.
I would encourage you to shout aloud that you are also weary of your children's education being interrupted by chronically disruptive students in the classroom.
I remain THE MAN!

[Publius]

The story that you relate does not surprise me. In fact, it simply reinforces what I already know from previous experience. CMS has little respect and no concern about the safety or well being of their faculty. I'm looking for employment elsewhere but in the meantime I've decided that if I'm attacked again I'm planning to try to take legal action against the parents, CMS and the BOE. It works for everyone else, maybe educators should take apage out of their book. I wouldn't expect anything to happen but maybe enough bad press would bring about change.

You're so right about weak knee, gutless leadership. I firmly believe that the thug with the shotgun last week was expelled because of the press. Lets face it, none of the over ten folks with guns last year was expelled. Your story concerns me even more because clearly the courts are doing nothing either. At least in the military they give you a weapon and allow you to defend yourself when they send you into a war zone. In CMS if you defend yourself say your prayers that they don't decide that "excessive force" was used or you're history. There seems to be no way to win. CMS did a security "audit" at North and apparently only spoke to students, not faculty. I think that is silly...I've had students tell me that they don't mind violence as long as they're left alone...to quote "its' fun to watch, entertainment".

[exmeckrez]

I totally agree with Good Grief! I was quite amazed when I read this.

[Unregistered]

Just a little FYI for anyone out there. Last Wed. I witnessed on 2 different occasions students caught smoking Marijuana on the school premises at N. Meck. They were turned in and I have no idea if anything happened to them. It is unlikely, as most of the time students are given a slap on the wrist for infractions such as this.
If the Charlotte PD wants to have a crackdown on drugs they could get lots of info. in the schools. Kids see absolutely nothing wrong with it. They don't even bother to go off campus anymore. They hang out between any one of the 60 trailors on campus. They know there will be no real punishment. Yes parents, your children go to school with people doing drugs on campus! And yes, it does affect your kids. Face it! You wouldn't believe the amount of "good students" who will willingly tell you they have tried illegal drugs. Wake up Charlotte! These are your future leaders!
Good thing Pughsley is going to add more trailors next year to N. Meck! That will definately solve our problems! Why are we not calling for his resignation as well!

[Unregistered]

The biggest change in discipline came statewide when our policymakers decided to pay administrators a bonus (based on their base salaries) for having safe schools. Suddenly, fights became "student conflicts", etc.

The very first year of this policy, the statistics were all sent to Raleigh to DPI/State Board of Education. They were originally reported accurately. Suddenly, everyone realized what the fall out would be if accurate statistics were reported. One by one, each school district called in and ALL numbers went to zero.

So, give money to administrators for "safe schools", and the state wide discipline concerns grow rather than diminish.

I think the money incentive should be removed/

[Staff]

Posted on Sun, Apr. 24, 2005
http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif
Discipline in CMS

http://www.charlotte.com/images/common/spacer.gif

Expulsion

It's the most severe punishment. Possession of weapons or drugs, and fighting and assault can lead to expulsion.

Out-of-school suspension

Includes short-term and long-term suspension ranging from one to five days up to the remainder of the school year. Infractions include everything from tardiness to assault.

In-school suspension

There's no systemwide program, but individual schools have their own policies ranging from lunchroom detention to Saturday school.

Truancy and suspension center

This just got under way a few weeks ago. Currently it is available only to students attending three high schools participating in a challenge program to boost student performance, but officials want to expand it. It's located at the Amay James Recreation Center. Students who are truant or suspended for 3-10 days attend this school with the consent of parents, and receive instruction in their core subjects while there.

Boot camp

The Right Choices is an early intervention program designed to be a short-term solution for secondary students, primarily middle-school and ninth-grade students who display inappropriate behaviors.

Derita School

Chronically disruptive students are sent to the Derita Graduation program for instruction.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/opinion/11475517.htm

[Unregistered]

If they would only follow the CMS guidebook...

[TheMan]

Saturday: October 8, 2005 Page 8C

The Observer investigated school violence and disruptions.

The result: Local school officials admitted problems and promised to do something about them.

Well, I guess that this is some measure of progress from six months ago when the majority of the members of the School Board were attempting to convince us that there weren't any "thugs" in the classrooms.

Quote for the times: "Don't confuse me with the facts, I'm satisfied living in denial".

I remain THE MAN!

P.S. Although I am NOT currently serving as a teacher at the secondary level, I do remain in service as a teacher elsewhere at the post-secondary level, and intend to continue to claim the right to post onto threads in this section where I have previously been active (unless specifically prohibited by the site administrators).[/SIZE]

[Staff]

Post away...